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1 

INTERSTATE SHII'MENT OF IMMATURE CALVES 



HEARINGS 



BEFORE THE 



COMMITTEE ON INTERSTATE AND FOREIGN COMMERCE 
OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 



ON THE BILL 



H. R. 17222 

TO REGULATE THE INTERSTATE SHIPMENT OF 
IMMATURE CAr.VES 



APRIL 3 AND 1(J, 1012 



w 



A 



WASHINGTON 

GOVERNMENT PRINTIN(J OT'EIOE 

1912 



;7 



COMMITTEE ON INTERSTATE AND FOREIGN COMMERCE. 

House of Representatives, Sixty-Second Congress. 

WILLIAM C. A DAMSON, Georgia, Chairman. 



WILLIAM RICHARDSON, Alabama. 
THETUS W. SIMS, Tennessee. 
WILLIAM R. SMITH, Texas. 
ROBERT F. BROUSSARD, Louisiana. 
HENRY M. GOLDFOGLE, New York. 
COURTNEY W. HAMLIN, Missouri. 
ADOLPH J. SABATH, Illinois. 
JOHN A. MARTIN, Colorado. 
jr. HARRY COVINGTON, Maryland. 
WILLIAM A. CULLOP, Indiana. 



SAMUEL W. GOULD, Maine. 
FRANK E. DOREMUS, Michigan. 
J. H. GOEKE, Ohio. 
FREDERICK C. STEVENS, Minnesota. 
JOHN J. ESCH, Wisconsin. 
JOSEPH R. KNOWL.IND, California. 
WILLIAM M. CALDER, New York. 
EDWARD L. HAMILTON, Michigan. 
MICHAEL E. DRISCOLL, New York. 
EBEN W. MARTIN, South Dakota. 



Willis J. Davis, Ckrk. 



f) fff n. 



V- J ^ 



INTERSTATE SHIPMENT OF IMMATURE CALVES. 

^i 

Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce, 

House of Representatives, 
WasMngto7i, D. C, April 3, 1912. 
The committee met at 10.35 o'clock a. m., Hon. William C. Adamson 
(chairman) presiding. 
The Chairman. Air. Hamilton, whom shall we have first? 
Mr. Hajiilton. Juilge Cowan, Mi-. Chairman. 
The Chairman. All "right, Jndge Cowan, you may start. 

STATEMENT OF MR. S. H. COWAN, OF FORT WORTH, TEX. 

Mr. Cowan. Mr. Chairman and gentlemen of the committee: 
I wish first to read a letter from the presiih^nt of the Cattle Raisers' 
Association of Texas, for whicJi I am attorney and in whose behalf 
I appear, as follows: 

Yours of March 22 to hand and coiitciits noted. In reply will say that I have just 
wired Congressman Smith thought it advisable to throttle bill prohibiting calves 
under 6 weeks of age being shipped for the reason in a ch'ought-stricken section it 
sometimes becomes necessary to take all small calves from their mothers and the calves 
are often in a very fair condition at the time, and if they ha^■e any value on the market, 
which is usually .$5 or .|6, it seems like it would lie nothing but fan to allow the owner 
to get that much out of the calves. This bill, however, is not of gi'eat importance to 
the cattlemen, for it is only occasionally that it becomes necessai-y, and that is when 
the cattlemen need the money worst as it looks like it woukl be a pity to kill the 
calves when he could get a few dollars for them. If not permitted to ship them alive 
he would do what dairymen do now; he woukl slaughter the calf and have to pay the 
express on it to the nearest town where the butcher would buy it; this would entail a 
gi-eat expense, and throw everything into the hands of the express company, and he 
would realize but a verv small amount for the calf. 

I don't think this is a till of State importance, but if this kind of legislation goes on, 
the States may begin to adopt it. 

I would like for Congressman Smith to put into the record the 
telegram he has received. 

Mr. Smith. I left it at my oHice and will insert it later. 

Mr. Cowan. The ])osition I take arises from consultation with men 
in the cattle business. The Cattle Raisers' Association of Texas and 
the American Live Stock Association have in every practical way 
aided in the securing of legislation to get the best meat's and prevent 
bad meats getting on the markets — to secure the best inspection and 
secure the best handling of live stock. vSome of the members of this 
committee and Dr. Melvin, who is here to-day, know we have been in 
entire accord with the Department of Agriculture on that. 

Conditions exist in the various western range States at which the 
nearest place at which you can slaughter yotu' calves is to cross the 
State hue, and it would be more humanitarian to ship them there for 
slaughter than it would be to ship them for slaughter to some distant 
intrastate point. I could ponit out innumerable cases where the 

3 



4 TNTEESTATE SHIPMENT OF IMMATITKE CALVES. 

slauglitoriiif,' points arc iioar the State lines and those shiu^htoriiig 
phices are nearer to shii)]Hn£r points in an adjoining State than 
shiughtering ])hices witliin its own l)oun(haries. 

I thiniv from what I know of the matter, and 1 heheve I am pretty 
well acquainted with the cattle business throughout the trans-Missouri 
range, that it would be unwise to i)r()hibit the trans])ortation of young 
calves to these nearby slaughtering places when the necessity arises. 

Mr. Hamilton. What is the age at which cattle of your clients is 
shipped ? 

Mr. Cowan. That depends u))on tlu^ age of the cattle and the con- 
dition of the man's business. You will sometimes find that calves are 
shipped at two months old, and sometimes there are fat calves on the 
range at that age. It depends u])on when the calves were ))orn. 
vSometimes they 

Mr. Hamilton. You say two months ? 

Mr. Cowan. The ordinary way of taking cah'es from the cows in all 
the southwestern States (and that is the only territory from whicli 
they are shipped to the market) is to begin with the calves that come 
usually Ijcginning in the miildle of March and A]>ril; these calves 
would be taken away about the first of July and range on down to the 
first of December. 

Mr. IL\MiLTON. In other wor<ls, until the calf is large enough to be 
worth something '^ 

Mr. Cowan. It will bring something on the market. 

Mr. Hamilton. The calf then is good meat? 

Mr. Cowan. Undoubtedly; and it is to the interest of every cattle- 
man to do it. There are circumstances when it would work a great 
hardship, and I think tliat could be avoided. I have this suggestion 
to make. In the first i:)lace, I say we are not ojiposed to projjer, 
humane laws, but we do not think laws should be passed that will 
interfere with other people's business if it can be jtrovided in some 
other way. In the second place, if the calves are unfit for food by 
reason of their age their transportation to the market should be pro- 
hibited. I think that shoulil api)ly to the cow also. I think that 
calves imder a certain age should not be slaughtered and used. 

Mr. Driscoll. What age is the cattle'? 

Mr. Cowan. That ought to be carefully investigated. I think it 
demands a careful iiivestigation. 

ilr. EscH. Could that be done under the existing insj)ection law, 
or would it re(|uire an amendment of that law '( 

Mr. Cowan. I think it would probably refpiire an amendment of 
the law, but any one of you good lawyers could do that — find out 
whether or not an amendment was necessary. 

My first point is that the sale of a calf unfit for food should l)e pro- 
hibited, and it need not interfere with interstate conunerce, btit could 
l_)(^ regulated in the State. Also, if by reason of the method (.>f ship- 
])ing or handling before ]:)lacing on the mai'ket any calf or animal over 
that age the meat is tmfit for food, I think — I know — Dr. Melvin's 
department has now jiower to prohibit that. 

This proposed bill means that we are not able to ship for food by 
reason of the age of the calves. I understand that many of the coni- 
plaints made are on calves shipped from New York to Boston — a 
48-hour run — and kept in the butcher's plant until they are unfit for 
food. Om' meat is good, and has to come in competition with the bad 



INTEKSTATE SHIPMENT OK IMMATURE CALVES. 5 

nii-at . Now, the penalty against the raih-oad is not sufficient ; it ought 
t(i })e niach' sufficient that it they do not handle tliem within tile tinie 
tliat tiiev ought to that the ])enalty shouhl he enloreed against tlie 
raiiroaiL' We have now the 2,S-liouV hiw tliat prohiliits tlie sliipping 
of cattle remaining on cars longer than 28 houi's without water. The 
suhject of the shipment of calves was brought up by some of the 
re|)resentatives of the humane society, and it was then contended 
that it was inhumane to take these calves from their mothers, antl 
tluit it was perfectly horrible how tiiey were. piled into the cars. _ A 
calf is just as hard to get away from his mother, if he is still sucking 
his mother, after he is 6 weeks old as he is before that time, ami — — 

Mr. Hamilton. I think that the customs are radically diflVrent in 
the southwestern and the northeastern sections of the countr_y. Tire 
average farmer in the eastern and northern parts of the country 
weans a calf within a certain length of tinu\ When T was a boy on 
the farm, one of my duties was to teach them to (hink. 

Mr. DniscOLL. First, with sweet milk '. 

Mr. Hamilton. Yes. They do not alhw the calv;-s to run with 
their mothers as in the country of your clients, Mr. ^ owan. After 
the calf is taught to drink he does not bleat for the mother; they get 
along separately fairly well. 

Mr. Cowan. I understand that to be the custom. 

I think the passage of this bill will work a great injustice uidess it 
is so ii^xed that it shall be administered luider certain regulations. I 
Ihink, in the hrst place, if the meat is unfit for food at a certain age, 
you should not ])ermit it to l)e shi])peil in interstate commerces; in tiu' 
second place, provide, if it is necessary to ])rovide, if, by reason of the 
handling, the meat is not go.od, no matter wliat ages, that it shall no( 
be shipped in interstate commerce. Tinit is the law now 

Mr. Smith. We understand it that the cattle raisers of the West and 
Southwest are not in the habit of ship|)ing calves under (i weeks of age; 
is that true ( 

Mr. Cowan. It is a rare thing. 

Mr. Smith. It is only in a case of e.xtranrdinary conditions that it is 
done, is it not '. I ilo not believe you have made it ([uite clear to the 
committee under what conditions calves of that age shoidd be shi]jped. 

Mr. Cowan. It might be that he is going to ship the cows to market 
and nuist kill the calves. Often it is on account of other conditions 
that he must kill the calves to save tiie niolhers. They often have to 
do the same thing with calves 6 weeks old. A drouth condition will 
prevail that does not furnish sustenance lo tiie cow; the cow not 
getting sustenance oil the range can not furnish il to the calf, and you 
have got to get the calf from the cow to save llie cow. I daresay any 
stock raiser in the Southwest wdll bear out the suggestions made by 
me and Mr. McFadden that the only lime we w^ould want to shi]) 
calves under G weeks old would be under conditions that would recpiii'e 
it. We would be glad to submit to any rules and regulations. ^'• e do 
not care what power you give to tiu' nepartnient of Agrii'iiiture, 
provitleil there is no prohibition u|)on oui- killing lli(> calves. 

In othei' words, you can put this whole tiling under a set of regula- 
tions that can be carried out and adjusted to suit the various locali- 
ties in the United States. Now, as the Department of Agriculture is 
administering very successfully many laws made wilii a view to gel- 
ting good meat products befoie the country, wiiy not [nit the whole 



6 INTERSTATE SHIPMENT OF IMMATUKE CALVES. 

thing in the hands of the department, and tlien .you wiH have reached 
the best conchision you coukl reaeh without injuring legitimate 
business. 

These are the only suggestions, except that I think a committee 
should be appointed" here to give the bill careful consideration and 
get the views of difl'erent peo]Me in the different parts of the country. 
I am sure that stockmen in all farming conniiunities who are acquainted 
with the conditions will bear out the statements I have nuide that 
this bill, if passed as a'law, will do considerable harm and the only 
good that can ))e done will be 

Mr. Hamilton. Bu( this bill — it was framed by Dr. Melvin and the 
Solicitor for the Department of Agriculture — meets the whole sitiui- 
tion, as I understand you, Mr. Cowan, except where the owners of 
cattle want to take calves away from the mothers in the Southwest 
under the age of 6 weeks in emergency cases. 

Mr. Cowan. Yes; but some other conditions. A great many con- 
ditions, I imagine, do not exist 

Mr. Hamilton. This is a verv well-drawn bill 



Mr. Cowan. It is an excellently drawn bill with regard to the ship- 
ping of the calves. My point is that it will work great harm to the 
legitimate shippers. It would be all right by leaving it in such form 
that it will be subject to some degree of latitude to be determined by 
the Department of Agriculture in cases of extreme conditions that 
we do not now foresee. 

I believe that is all I have to say. 

Mr. Hamilton. Mr. Chairman, I want to present Dr. Francis 11. 
Rowley, president of the M;issachusetts Society for the Prevention 
of Cruelty to Animals and the American Humane Education Society. 

STATEMENT OF DR. FRANCIS H. ROWLEY, OF BOSTON, MASS. 

The Chairman. What is youi' full name!' 

Dr. Rowley. Francis H. Rowley, of Boston, ]\!ass. 

The Chairman. And your occuj)ation ( 

Dr. Rowley. I am president of the Massachusetts Society for the 
Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and also the American Humane 
Education Society. 

The Chairman. What is (he name of the benevnlenl class of |)eople 
to which you belong^ 

Dr. Rowley. I take it, Mr. Adanison, that grows out t>f a little 
conversation we hail. I think 1 might coin a word, or use a word 
that is perhajis already coined, and call ourselves "])lul(vxiists." 

The Chairman. The stenogra])lier will jnit the doctoi- down as a 
])hilozoist. 

Di'. Rowley. Mr. Chairman and gentlemen, I am here on behalf of 
all tlie humane societies in the United States that are a unit in their 
indorsement of this bill and their hope that the bill may become a law. 
I am also here in behalf of the one society in the United States that 
has i)ut up the hardest fight for the past two years that has been ])ut 
u]) by any organization in this coimtrv to prevent the horrible abuses 
comiected with the shipment of immature calves. I am ;'.lso here in 
behalf of literally millions of little baby calves — h'.mdreds of thou- 
sands of them born within this week and millions yet that are to be 
born — and I am also iu-re in behalf of great multitudes of th<' pnor 



INTERSTATE SHIPMENT OF IMMATURE CALVES. 7 

people ill our own jukI other States who are tJie victims of tliis trafllc. 
You and I do not eat this "bob" veal, because our butchers furnish 
us witli calves of sufficient age to make wholesome food. This meat 
is boned off antl made up into sausaj^jes and sold to the poor — shipped 
often under local iiispe<-tion, w]ii('h, in our State, is often of the 
most melhcient kind. We have found, and I am ashamed to say it, 
ui the State of Massachusetts little butchers wiiose inspectors have 
been their hired men. in one case, in Chelmsford, the man had his 
16-year-old son put tiie stamp on the carcasses of these baby calves, 
and they were shipjied by the carloatl to Lowell to the jioor jteoplc. 

Mr. Dkiscoll. Under what law was he inspecting? 

Dr. Rowley. He was inspecting under the town law, which allows 
the selectmen or the board of health to a])point wiioin they please to 
inspect. 

Mr. Driscoll. When you say "the town law'', you mean tlie law 
of the State of Massacliusetts ? 

Dr. KowLEY. The law of Massachusetts that allows its towns to 
ap])oiiit inspectors for its slaughterhouses. I migjit also say — I do 
not suppose any of you have had time to read them, but I sent you 
some editorials from our leading Boston |)a])ers — I want you to know 
that the press of Massachusetts is with us. 

Mr. Hamilton. I do not know that thei'e would be any objection to 
Dr. Rowley incorporating these iiewspa])cr articles in the record. 

The Cn.4iRMAN'. He uuiy iiii-or|)oratc in the i-ocord whatever he 
wants. 

Dr. Rowley. I would like to |)rcscnt Ihcni lo the stenogra|>hcr for 
tlu^ record. 

The newsjiapei' ;ii-liclcs are as follows: 

BOB-VKAL I,E(II.SI,.\TI()M. 

Public stnitiiiU'iit in Massachusetts str(iuf,'ly suppurts natinnal legislation in the 
interest of health, and there is no doubt that the liill, introduced into Congress Ijy 
Rejiresentative Hamilton of Michigan, prohiliiting the interstate trans])ortation ot 
innnature calves is warmly approved by all wlio are familiar with the abuses arising 
under present conditions. It is a known fad tliat calves only a few days old and 
which have starved to deatli in trans]Mirtation are lirought into our markets frnm 
outside our i^tate. Tins bill aims to correct this practice liy prohibiting the trans- 
portation ot calves under G weeks old uidess aic-ompanied liy tile ninlher. The 
mother is needed to furnish nourishment. 

The bill is su])]Mirted by the Department of .\gricnlture and is opixised only by 
those who have selUsh ends. At the hearing on Wednesday of this week in Wash- 
ingtim, before the Connnittee on Interstat<' and Foreign Commerce. Dr. I<"rancis Jl. 
Rowley, president o[ the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to 
Animals, will appear in favor of the bill and will present humanitarian as well as 
practical reasons for the legislation. Dr. Rowley enjoys the cnntidence of the Cnm- 
monweallh, has <lone and is doing a great work as head nf his society, ami is ipialitied 
to represent public feeling on the subject. The bill deserves a favorable reiiorl and 
should be supported by the entire Mas.sachusetls deli-L'alion. 



'BOB VEAL IX CONIiRE.SS. 

All who have been familiar with the hard fight in wliiih the Massachusetts Society 
for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals has been engaged during the ])ast two years 
to break up the disreputable traffic in "bob veal" will b<' gla<l to learn that at last a 
bill has been introduced in (^ingress to prohibit tlie trans])ortatiim of immature calves 
from one State into anotjier. This busmess, as it has been carried on, has been most 
difhcult to suppress, because, coming under the head of interstate commerce, it has 



8 INTERSTATE SHIPMENT OF IMMATURE CALVES. 

been alinotit impossible to seoiire eviclcure wari'aiit ing a iwosecution either in the 
Sta,te from which or in the Stale into which the shipment was made. Not only have 
the cruelties necessarily involved in the traiis])ortation of these little calves, generally 
taken from their mothers before lieinj'' alile lo sulisist on anything lint milk, and too 
weak to endure rough handling and a long journey, aroused the utmost endeavors of 
the Massachusetts society, but the ])eril to the public health from eating the flesli of 
these immature, starved, and often dying calves, has justified as well the determined 
opposition to the traffic in them. 

The bill, known as H. R. 17222. is to be heard before the Committee on Interstate 
and Foreign Commerce this week \\'ednesday. The United States Department of 
Agriculture, we understand, sirongly favors it. It will be opposed by the National 
Livestock and the National Breeders' Associations. We wish all success to Dr. 
Rowley, who leaves to-night for \\'ashinglon to s]ieak at the hearing. The press of 
Boston has heartily indorsed all the efforts he and his society have made to put a stop 
to this nefarious business. 



The )iower of Congress to regulate commerce between States can be usefully em- 
ployed in stopping the traffic in "bob veal." Not only does this business involve 
truelly to animals, but danger to the ])ublic health as well. Dr. Rowley, r^f the Mas- 
sachusetts Society for the Prevenlion of Cruelly to Animals, who is .shortly to appear 
before a couuuittee of Congress in supjiort of a bill intended to bring about the reform 
mentioned, ought t<i carry with him the good will of the humanilarian and the sani- 
tarian. 



TUK UOU VE.\L TU.\FFIC. 

The business of regulating the abominable trallic in immature calves is to become 
the sjiecial duty of the United Stales Governmeiil, if ihe bill of Repre.senlativo Hamil- 
ton, of Michigan, shall be made law, as it surely ought. This bill provides: 

"That no person, lirm, or corporalion shall ship or deliver for shiiiment, nor .shall 
any common carrier, nor the receiver, trustee, or lessee thereof receive for transporla- 
tion or transjiort from one State or Territory or the District of Columbia, into or through 
another State or Territory, or the District of Columbia, any calf unless the same is 
weeks old or o\-er: Proiiilrit, That live calves not 6 weeks old may be shipped and 
(ransported from one Stale or Territory or Ihe District of ('olumbia into or through 
another State or Territory or the District (jf Columbia, if accompanied at all times by 
their mcjthers." 

A hearing on this measure will be given before the Committee on Interstate anit 
Foreign Commerce on Wednesday, at which Dr. Rowley, the president of the Mas.sa- 
chusetls Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, will appear for the bill and 
fell of the disgraceful and inhuman transportation of little calves he and his agents 
have discovered at the Boston end of some of our railroads. 

No man is better able (o di.scuss this subject than Dr. Rowley, and none is more truly 
representative of public sentiment hereabout in the matter of the jirotection of dumb 
beasts. He also knows the dangers to consumers in the "bob" veal traffic, and can 
|iut the touch of |)ractical advantage into his plea for the bill. 

I think 1 can probably do no better than <^ive yoti otir own exj)eri- 
ence. It will be a concrete case to illustrate what takes jjlace to a 
greater or less extent all over the country. 

Two years ago, when I became president of tiie Massachusetts 
Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Anuiuils, and realized that 
there are over 100, 000, 000 four-footed animals sold in this country 
every year for food, 1 realized tluit a large part of nij' duty would 
be to care for such of these creatures as come into the State of Massa- 
chtisetts and see that they might be slaughtered under as humane 
conditions as ])ossible. That led me at onct^ to visit our large stock- 
yards at Boston and send om- agents throughout the State to visit 
the slaugiiterhouses of tiie State. We found that at Brighton, 
Watertown, and Cambridge there were carloads of little calves from 
Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont, but. aljove all, that they 
were coming into Massachusc^tts from New York Slate in hun- 



INTERSTATE SHIPMENT OF IMMATUKE CALVES. 9 

drecls of ihou.sninl.s, iuul no small portion ol' ihcai 1, 2. 3, 4. am! o 
daj's old, up to '_' and 3 weeks old. 1, ol' emirse, beyan to look 
for the reason for this, and I found that Xew York State had 
})assetl a law, I think in 1907, which said that it wouhl be unlawful 
to traiis])ort any young calves in the State of Xew Y(irk, except for 
(hiiry purposes, under 4 weeks of age — that is, to be raised on a 
(Uiiry farm — or if so transported, they should lie either in crates or 
accom])anie(l by their mothers. So I found these cars coming in, 
2, 3, S, 10, ami 12 a week, loaded with immature calves from the 
State of New York, shipped to "John Doe" or " Richard Roe," dairy- 
man — no more dairyman than you or I. They were butchers ti-ad- 
ing in these little calves for what there was in it for them. Through- 
out New York State milk is the great desideratmn. The dairyjiian 
has to keep his calves with their mothers, and if he separates them 
he has got to teacii them to drink, and h(> wants lo get rid of them. 

There are men — and I want you to understand, gentlemen, every- 
thing I say to you here to-day I can substantiate by facts and figures 
secured by our agents and for which w(! ar<! willing to take our oath — 
there are men in New York State, as in Maine, New Hampshire, anil 
Vermont, knowing the dates when the cows are to calf, and they are 
there the day tlie calves are dropped. In many cases, the calves are 
taken that day. Their legs are tied together, and in many eases they 
are thrown under the l)oot of a wagon. They get a carload and liien 
ship them. The farmer gets from a dollar to a dollar and a half for 
this little calf. Now, you know that the llolstein and other In'eeds 
will weigli the day of ))irth .50, 60, oi' 70 pounds tiressed, and (piiti^ 
frequently NO pounds the tlay when l)orn. That is a pretty good calf, 
es]3ecially when you l)low it up with compressed air. If they can get 
this calf through to market, then they get, say, a dollar or a dollar 
and a half for the hide. If they can get some inspector to pass it, 
60 cents for the liver, 50 cents for the sweetlirc^ads, and from three to 
six dollars for the carcass. First, a little return to the farmer of 
SO cents or a tlollar for the calf, and then one, live, or six dollars to 
the butcher. That, I found, was the reason why these calves were 
coming in in such enormous qiuuitities frcim New Yt>rk. Thev could 
not be slaughtered in the State of New "i'ork under their law. They 
were coining in under our wretched system of inspection. 

All the meat that passes houses that have brums enough to h,ive 
Federal inspectors is good, but our local inspectors pass so many <if 
these calves that the profit is very large for these small dealers. 

Mr. Smith. Is it your contention that all calves, without excep- 
tion, under 6 weeks of age, are unwholesome food i 

Dr. Rowley. No, sir: and I would be glad to come to that a little 
later. 

Mr. S.MiTiL We will wait, tiien, until we reaeii liiat. 

Ml-. J. A. Maktlv. I want to ask about rennsyhania and iicr 
ins])ection laws. 

Dr. Rowley. In P(^nnsylvania there is what is called tiie live-stuck 
sanitary board, which 1 Ix'lieve has authorih' in such matters. 

Mr. fj. A. Martix. You do not think many of these calves, then, 
get into Pennsylvania '': 

Dr. Rowley. From April 10 to May 9 there arrived at tlie Water- 
town stockyards S2 cars, containing 7,380 calves; that was in 29 days. 
;)f these calves, oui' agent juilgetl that (io |)er cent were umler 2 weeks 



10 INTERSTATE SHIPMENT OP IMMATUKE CALVES. 

of age, and the majority of them under 1 week of age, and it is not 
ditiicult to determine that, I think, when you know that tlie navel 
string generally begins to witlier at the end of 4 or 5 dnjs and 
hnally drops oil and leaves a scab. The teeth begin to come at an 
early age. If he lias no teeth, and if the hoofs are soft and tlie meat 
is watery and slimy after it is dressed, you have no dillioulty in 
determining whether it is an immature calf. 

On May 2 and 3, 1910, there arrived at Brighton 790 calves in car- 
loads in those two days of which 183 were dead; dead from starvation; 
dead from utter exhaustion. We had one of the best veterinarians 
in Boston examine the stomachs, and the insitle of the stomach was 
as dry as the palm of yom- hand; they had simply starved to death. 

The Chairman. Where did they come from? 

Dr. Rowley. From New York State. 

The Chairman. How hmg had they been en route? 

Dr. liowLEY. These special carloads had been from 50 to 55 hours 
en route, without anything to drink. The railroads were sued by 
the Government and fined in each case, as they have been done in 
many instances. 

The CHAIR^L.vN. This shipment had been made in violation of law? 

Dr. Rowley. Not the N'nv York State law. 

The Chairman. But the Federal law? 

Dr. Rowley. So far as time is concerned; yes. 

Mr. Smith. You would not use that as an argument wliy tlie shij)- 
ment of tliese calves should be absolutely ])rohibited because there 
is one shipment you point out wiiere the railroad had kept these 
calves on the cars 55 hours in violation of the law and they had 
become exhausted and starved ? 

Dr. Rowley. That is sim])ly one of tlie evils of this trallic. 

Mr. Smith. Would not that hajijien to grown calves? You would 
not ask the Fetleral CJovernment to prohibit their shipment l)ecause 
tiie railroads liad ke])t tli> calves, on one instance, imtil they had 
starved to death. 

Dr. Rowley. There were many instances in which llie (iovern- 
ment lined the railroads? 

Mr. Smith. Very ])ro])erly. 

Dr. Rowley. The superintendent of the railroad told me they did 
not intend to keep tlie law; that is was cheaper for them to i)ay the 
fine. 

Mr. Hamilton. It ought to be ])erfectly obvious that where a 
yoimg calf has been taken from its mother it can not take any nourish- 
ment at all. 

Mr. Sjiith. It is also very obvious that a call should not be kept 
on cars for 55 hours, and if tiie railroad com]ianies are going to violate 
the law and shij) the calves that way, they will violate this law also. 

Mr. Hamilton. They slidiild be prohibited from shi|)ping tiiem all 
all. 

Mr. Driscoll. Do you know what ])art of New York these calves 
come from ? 

Dr. Rowley. Tliese come chiefly from such jdaces as Berlin, and 
Palatine Bridge — in the neighborhood of Syracuse and Utica. 

Mr. J. A. Martin. Aie you going to discuss at what age these 
calves become lit for food ? 



IXTERSTATE SHIPMENT OF IMMATURE CALVES. 11 

Dr. KowLEY. A littlf later. These are simply samples of reports 
handed me 1)V our ajjents. I just broutcht a few of the most notable. 
Here is another: In six days 1,690 calves were broui^ht over from 
the State of New York. 

Here is a record of one week of 6,0-50 calves shi|)ped to the New 
Enii'land Dressed Meat & Wool Co. Three hundred of the calves 
W(M-e thrown out by tlu> Federal inspectors as unlit for food. 

That Massachusetts is not the only State that has suffered from 
this is evidenced by a letter I have from the secretary of the 
Humane Society of Detroit, Mich. He says that: 

The practice of taking young calves from their mothers iii warm stables, driving 
them several miles through frost and .snow, allowing them to stand shivering in the 
snow for half a day before loading them on the train, is a very cruel practice. Many 
of these calves are thus exposed in shijiping from 30 to 90 hours. Outside of thi> 
matter of cruelty, such meat is unquestionably unfit for food. 

Then, there is also a similar statement from the ])resident of the 
Connecticut Humane Society. As we began to make it unprofit- 
able to these Initchers, they began to turn them into Connecticut, 
and this is wiiat the president of their humane society writes. He 
says : 

(_ln April 2'>. a carload el' alxiul. 1:^0 calves was received. 'I'liey were thin, eyes 
sunken and apparently a number of them were dead. On being taken from the ear, 
some revived. These calves were shijiped without crates. We had an examina- 
tion made of two dead calves and nothing was found in their stomaeh.s. (.)ut of the 
entire numhier it is believed that 75 ^ler cent were l)ol)s. 

Now, you say, why can not tliis be sto]i])ed by .State legislation'^ 
The attorney general of New York says: 

I liud nil aulhnrity iu this provisiun of law or elsewhere Ihal would justify l^ie eoiii- 
missi(jner of agriculture to seize shi]iments of calves deslini'd lo a point without the 
State, unil 'r the c imditions nvntioned in your letter. The aliove section is int.'nded 
to ])rohih)t the ofl'ering or cx|josing for sale in the market of c alves under 4 weeks 
of ag.-! iir when they are )inl in healthy condition. Th;> shi])|uny (herein referred to 
must be construed as meaning .'■■hip)iing for the purpose of killing within th? State and 
can not ref'r to the shipjiing of calves without the State, as llie 1-gislature has no 
authority to prohibit such shipments. 

These calves were shi|)pe(l accortling to the laws of New York 
State to "John Smith," a little butcher in Comiecticut , Rhode Island, 
or Ma.ssachusetts, as ti "dairyman." 

Mr. Driscoll. Does not this law recjuire that th(>y be shijtped in 
crtites or accompanied by their mothers '( 

Dr. Rowley. They are shipped there in crates or are su])posed to 
go with their mothers if not crated. The attorney general of New 
York can not sto]) it because they go out to our State in conformity 
with the law. We can 'not do anything in Massachusetts except to 
cooperate with the Federal inspectors and such local inspectors as 
we can scare into destroying these calves and not allow them to get 
on the market as food. In many cases we lia\'e driven mtiny of these 
butchers out of this business. 

Mr. GoEKE. If your local ins])ector woidd do his duty. woid<l not 
that remedy the condition '( 

Dr. Rowley. That would remedy a great deal of the difficulty. 

Mr. Goeke. So that it is a lack of correct local government that 
brings about this condition in Massachusetts? 

Or. Rowley. That is jiartly the cause, but it seems so much easier 
to reach it by Federal law than to attem])t to control it In- State law. 



12 INTERSTATE SHIPMENT OF IMMATUKE CALVES. 

Mr. GoEKE. Your idea is tliat a Federal law will reach the entire 
situation all over the country, but if the Federal inspectors would l)e 
derelict in their duties, you would have the same conditions, would 
3'ou not ''. 

Dr. Rowley. Under the present conditions, yes; but if this law 
passes, it seems to me the Federal department has .shown itself to 
possess too high a sense of honor not to attempt to enforce a law of 
this Ivind. 

Mr. GoEKE. It would be still a matter of enforcing the law ^ 

Dr. Rowley. Yes. 

Mr. Driscoll. New York State has a tremenduous city popula- 
tion — many very large cities — and I take it that New York butchers 
are just the same kind in human nature that Massachusetts butchers 
are, and these butchers can find just as poor a class of people who will 
eat bob veal as can be found in Massachusetts. I have always taken 
ofi' my hat to Massachusetts as a highh' civilized State, and I take it 
that you are able to enact and enforce just as drastic laws in Massa- 
chusetts. There must be some law to jii-event the intrastate shipment 
of these calves in New York and that hiw must be enforced, else they 
would not be shipped to Massachusetts, for surely there are sufficient 
markets in New York if it is not stopped by good law and forceful 
enforcement of the law, and I want to ask you if New York is not 
ahead of Massachusetts in the making of laws to prevent unwhole- 
some foods getting on the market % 

Dr. Rowley. I am sorry to answer that Massachusetts is not up to 
New York State. For two years in the public press, and in every 
possible way, I have tried to force upon the Boston Board of Health 
and the State Board of Ilindth the necessity for action and it can not 
be done at the present time. Massachusetts is behind, sadly behind, 
in its legislation in this niatter. 

Mr. Driscoll. I am sorry you have to come to the Federal Govern- 
ment when you have all the power if your people are up to it. 

Dr. Rowley. We have a law in Massachusetts that I think would 
control it if we could enforce it. We have two statutes on our books: 
One says, "no calf shall be sold for food under 4 weeks of age," and 
we have another that says that "if a calf, when dressed, will weigh 
40 pounds with 2 pounds allowed for shrinkage over night : " tiiat is, 38 
pounds, "it may pass insj)ection." 

Mr. Driscoll. I^o not misunderstand me: I would put jn<'n that 
sold that bob veal to any class in jail until they rotted if I coidd. 

Dr. Rowley. The local inspectors in our 40() little slaughterhouses 
will act on the :3S-pound law — when the calf is dressed — anil if you try 
to enforce it on the four-weeks law they fall back on the statute which 
says "if it weighs 38 pounds," and the local inspector can be induced 
to put his stamp on it. If we coidd only stir up the State of Massa- 
chusetts to realize this situation, we could do a great deal. 

Mr. GoEKE, Who appoints the inspectors in the State of Massa- 
chusetts ? 

Dr. Rowley. The State lioard of iiealth is appointed by the 
governor. 

I would like to speak of another phase of this subject, especially 
bearing on the matter of cruelty, ^umost all of our other food ani- 
mals, swine, sheep, ami fowl, even, are not transported until they have 
reached an age where thev have some reserve strength. Swine get to 



INTERSTATE SIIIPMEXT OF IMMATURE CALVES. 13 

1)0 pretty sirong shotos bpforo tlicv arc shijipod, and it is true i>{ poul- 
try also tliat they have attained some atje. I never saw a youn<j 
sucking lamb shiiijied exce]it to some one who wanted to raise it, but 
these calves are like infants. You and I could b(> ])ut in a box car 
without anything to cat or tlrink foi' several days and we could sur- 
vive, but you could not take a baby from its mother's breast and 
ship it for two or three days in a box car and expect it to do anything 
more than ]30ssibly just gasp when you ()|)ened the car. That is wliv 
the calf situation. ])rescnts such a groimd for cruelty. Tl!es(> are 
small, wholly immature, weak, delicate things that can not li\e 
except they have their mother's milk and except there is an elhirl 
made to feed them. 

Last Sunday a man came througii from Now York State following 
one of these carloads of calves. Thei'e is an attemjit to evade the law 
by claiming that they are shipping the dams with the.^e calves, !«'- 
cause, if they ship the dam with the calf, they are complying witli the 
law. even if they arc only 1 oi- 2 d.-iys old. Tliey take along old, 
worn-out, tlried-up, milch cows that are to be made inti* bologna 
sausage. Tiiey })ut them into the car with (iO or 70 calves. ('a])t. 
Walsh was with us — they unloaded !)',) calves and 4 old cows. When 
these cows come out of the car with the calves they will walk awav. 
with no more thought of the calf than you have of the child walldng 
in the streets of New Orleans now. I have found the teats of these 
cows raw from the continual sucking of the calves put in with them. 

Now, last Smiday they attcm|)ted to feed at ^iJbany. There was 
a num who said: "Are you going to feed these calves." The other 
said, ■' Yes." and he came back with two ])ails of something that looked 
like milk. He said that there were four cans <if condenseil milk to a 
pail of water in the mixtiu-e. He went into the pens and held open 
the mouths of the calves and put in finmels and attempted to feed 
them with that stufl' in that way. Our man took a sample of this 
"milk."' The fellow who was feeding them saw it, and said, "What 
is that you are doing ?" And he said, "I am simply taking a sample." 
The fellow excused liiniself and came back with a pail which was 
probably real milk. He said. "Take a sample of this." Our man 
said, "I have all the sani])le 1 need." That was the stutf of whicli 
lie had taken a sam])le. 

Mr. Smith. What would you say al)out shipping calves where they 
would not need food '( 

Dr. Rowley. If the calf were old enough, I would not object to it. 

^Ir. Smith. But under 6 weeks of age ( 

Dr. Rowley. I do not tliink any calf imder 6 weeks of age should 
be shi)iped for slaughtering or raising im a- dairy farm. 

Mr. Smith. I understand that calves muler (> we(>ks of age nuiy be 
a wholesome food. 

Dr. Rowley. Tliat is true, but they should not be taken away for 
a long journey. 

Mr. vSmith. 1 am asking you about short journeys. Take the great 
factories where they slaughter, and a great deal of them they get 
come from short distances across State lines, and they are interstate 
shipments. Tliis IjlII, as I understand it, would absolutely ])rohibit 
the shipment of the calf for 30 minutes. 

Mr. Hamilton. A calf fi weeks old could b(> <lriven with its mother. 



14 INTERSTATE SHIPMENT OF IMMATURE CALVES. 

Dr. Rowley. I tliink Judge Cowan has stated that the occasions 
are very rare where even the poorest men desire to ship a calf 6 weeks 
okl. If the calf is not taken away from the mother the fii-st few 
days, he \\'ill keep it 6 weeks and get his full profit out of it. 

%ir. Smith. That is true, but sometimes it would be profitable 
where the food would be wholesome. 

Dr. Rowley. I am perfectly wUling to say that if a carload of 
calves 6 weeks old — if they could be put in for a short jiturney of a 
few hours' duration, tliat I should not object to that. 

Ml-. Smith. How about calves 5 weeks of age ? 

Dr. Rowley. You have got to draw the line somewhere, and I 
say 6 weeks. 

Mr. Smith. Wliy not make a regulation that the calves could be 
shipped under certain conditions where the food would be whole- 
some and under humane coniUtions i 

Dr. Rowley. If it is possible to make such a regulation that can 
not be used as a cover to deal in these immature little things, there 
is no objection on the part of the humane society. 

Now, as to liealth, I am thoroughly convinced that there is a great 
penl to the public health in this matter. I have here a letter from 
Dr. Cutler, of the Suffolk District Medical Society. This is the lead- 
ing medical society of Boston. He says: 

Our committee believes that the weight of evidence is in favor of an age limit for 
the sale of veal and not a weight limit, and we favor legislation along these line.s. 

To defeat the law, some of the butchers want to make it a weight 
limit of the calf and not an age limit. 
Dr. A. T. Cabot, of Boston, writes me: 

I am quite willing, in view of the authorities that you cite, to express in y- con- 
viction that ''bob veal" is unsuited for human food. 

Dr. Herbert Clapp is certainly one of the leading physicians of 
Boston, and he says: 

During the years of my [iractice I have seen quite a number of cases of sickness 
produced by eating veal from immature calves, and some of them were very severe. 
I think there should be very stringent laws against slaughtering for food calves during 
the first few weeks of life (no matter what they weigh), not only because their flesh 
may be poisonous but also because to most people who know anything about it the 
very idea is repulsive. 

Dr. Eliot, the former president of Harvard College, when he heaixl 
of our contention, wrote me: 

The bill introduced into the Massachusetts Legislatm-e to allow the sale of any 
calf that will weigh 40 pounds dressed gives no secm-ity against the abominalde cruelty 
of taking a new-b irn calf away from its mother, depri\'ing it of all food, shipping it 
on long railroad joui'neys in crowded cars exposed to any extremes of heat or cold, 
and selling it for himian food in this starved and agonized condition. Independently 
of the question of the wholesomeness of such meat, I thirik a civilized community 
has a right to prevent any buying and selling for a money profit which involves such 
cruelty. Moreover, I can not but think that consumers ought to he protected against 
all chaBce of eating the meat of any animal which has been in torment for many 
hours before the moment of killing. Mali is by no means the only animal in which 
suffering and terror set up toxic processes. The fact that thorough cooking may 
destroy the germs or poisons m a raw food does not invalidate the instinctive and 
reasonable objection to food which was noxious when raw. ^Ve all vastly prefer as 
food milk, meats, cereals, vegetables, and fruits which ai-e pure and sound, and 
always have been, to the same materials in which impurity and rottenness have been 
artificially corrected or rendered imperceptible; and this preference is wise. 



INTERSTATE SHIPMENT OF IMMATURE CALVES. 15 

Mr. Escii. Do the medical authorities find tliat the eating of "hob " 
veal leads to ptomaine poisoain<j; ^ 

Dr. Rowley. Yes; the siclcness that results could he so called. 
May I quote to you a paragra|)h or two from the Department of Agri- 
culture, wliich has been sending to me articles on this very question. 
This is on the health condition — on the ([uality of this food as food or 
unfit for eating: 

"Bob veal," or the liesh of immature calves, is objectionable on esthetic grounds and 
prohibitive from a hygenic standpoint. It is repulsive in appearance, owing to the 
water-soaked condition of the flesh and fat. This condition is due partly to the 
abundance of water, producing a dropsical conilition of the connective tissue con- 
stituents, and partly to the presence of certain melabfilic products in the tissues which 
are produced in the fo'tus as the result of tissues change or nictaliolism, and which are 
cleared away and carried off .some time after birth owing to the jjurgative properties of 
the colostrum in the milk of the mother. 

Besides reducing its nutritive value, the presence of the greatest amount of water 
acts also as a good media or fertile soil for germs, and not only lessens the keeping 
quality of such meat, but actually enables the formatiim of ptomain poisons, bacterial 
toxins, tox-albinnen, and to.xigenic substances which the unsuspecting purchaser of 
such meat can not detect. As a consequence of eating such flesh profuse and some 
tmies fatal diarrhea may develop in the cons\nner, as has been shown in literature. 
Meat-poisoning bacilli find a ready media for luxuriant growth in "bub veal" car- 
casses even at low temperature. 

Now, at the time I ])iddished tliis in a Boston [laper, a Boston 
pliysician came mto my othcc and said: 

Last night a ])atient of mine died. I am perfectly con\inced, from eating "bob" 
veal. She ate very heartily, and at II) n'clock she liecame very ill, and she died 
before moriung. 

There are n number of other ipiotations liere to the same efi'ect. 
I have also a translation from a (Hstinguisli(>d German authority, in 
which he bears out the same statement that tlie flesh of these i)re- 
maturely liorn calves comes und(>r t1ie liead of ''s])oiled foods" and 
is not fit to he eaten. 

Mr. Ditistor.L. When tliose articles were pid)lislied in the Massa- 
cliusetts pa[)(>rs, 1 shouhl tliink the peopk' of Massachusetts wouKl 
rise up and insist that a law Ije passed, and create such a jnil)hc 
sentiment as would insist upon drastic execution of sucli it law. 
Now, if you can not stop it with reference to calves that come in, how 
can you stoj) it with reference to calves in Massachusetts ? 

Dr. Rowley. They take them into the woods and slaughter tliem. 

The t'HAiRMAX. Now, this law will not liclp you as to Massachu- 
setts, will it? 

Dr. Rowley. If, Mr. Chairman, we can shut them out from tlie 
other States, it will give us a chance to devote all our time to our 
OAvn conditions, and I tliink we could do a great deal more. 

Mr. Driscoll. You seem to be a dumping ground for "bob" veal. 

Dr. Rowley. We are. Now, just before I close, may I ask Mr. Mur- 
ray to pass them about ? I want you to look at the photograi)hs 
that have been taken. I have turned down a few pages in the 
pamphlet. These are pliotographs that were taken of these cah'es 
as they were received in our Brighton stockyards. I can describe 
tliem as photographs of immature calves received in the Brighton 
and Watertown stockyards. 

Dr. Rowley hands around to the members of the committee 
copies of a pamphlet containing photographs taken in illustration 



16 INTEESTATE SHIPMENT OF IMMATURE CALVES. 

of the evils of the "bob" veal trallic, entitled "Wliat Some People 
Eat; the Railroads and the Cruelties of Transportation; the Bar- 
barities of the Slaughterhouse," published by the Massachusetts 
Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. 

Mr. Hamilton. Tiiese photographs were taken immediately upon 
their arrival there, were they ? 

Dr. Rowley. Yes, sir. 

Tne Chairman. Have you stated how far they came, Doctor? 

Dr. Rowley. Many from Maine, New Ham])shire, and Vermont, 
but many from New York State. The route from Utica, Syracuse, 
and that neighl)orhood to Boston is about 300 miles. 

Mr. Driscoll. Yes; about .300 miles; a little over 300 miles, I 
guess. 

Dr. Rowley. 1 think, Mr. Chairman, that 1 have said all that I 
need to say. My ap|)eal is in behalf of these poor, immature, little 
cah^es that are shipped imder circumstances that are necessarily 
cruel, causing them exhaustion and starvation, and I make my 
appeal on the furthei' ground of public health. 

I iiave been sur))riseil by the statements of the gentleman who 
])i'eceded me to see how far he was really in accord with the purpose 
of tills bill and what we are seeking. 

Tiie ( iiAiRAL\N. Have you any other witness, Mr. Hamilton? 
The committee lias iieard you with great jjleasure. Doctor. 

Mr. Hamilton. I want to present 

Mr. Driscoll. May I ask Dr. Rowley one question i Why do 
you want .*f 1,000, 000, Doctor? [This is a statement contained in 
|)holograpliically illustrated pamplilet above referred to.] 

Dr. Rowley. This is the Massachusetts society for which 1 was 
pleading. This million dollai's for which I was asking was for use in 
our State work in Massachusetts. 

Whereupon Dr. Rowley was finally excusetl. 

Mr. Hamilton. I want to present Dr. A. D. Melvin, Chief of the 
Bureau of Animal Industry in the Department of Agriculture. 

STATEMENT OF DR. A. D. MELVIN, CHIEF OF THE BUREAU 
OF ANIMAL INDUSTRY, UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF 
AGRICULTURE. 

The CiLViK.MAX. Doctor, give yiuu' name, ad<lress, and occu])ation 
to the stenograj)her, please. 

Mr. ^Ielvin. A. D. Melvin, Chief of the Bureau of Animal Industry, 
Department of Agriculture, W'ashington, D. C. 

Several communications have been received at the bureau from 
Congressman Hamilton calling our attenticui to his ha\'ing received a 
large number of complaints from constituents of his regarding cruelty 
involving the shipment of very young calves to the market, and asking 
our aid, in so far as we could give it, in preventing this. The only 
authority the department has regarding the shipment of calves is that 
it calls up the 2S-hour law or in the condemnation of the calves 
imsuitable for food purposes at (>stablishments where we have main- 
tained Federal inspection. 

The meat-insi)ection act referred to by Judge Cowan doesn't give 
us authority to regulate the shipment of these animals, and we have 



INTERSTATE SHIPMENT OF IMMATURE CALVES. 17 

no control over llu'iu until they I'ntcr into our po,-.s('s»ion, Inu u,^^ been 
offei'ed for slaughter at some establishment where we have an insp(>c- 
tion. Then we ran make an ante-mortem inspection or a post-mortem 
inspection. 

Ml'. J. A. Martin. Wliy conhhi't you inspect them at ^omc of the 
other estai)lishmeuts '. 

Mr. Melvin. We are only autlTorizcd to conduct inspections at 
establishments wliich are engaged in interstate^ and foreign commerc(\ 
Where the establishment is wholly within a State W(^ have no juris- 
diction over it. For that reason small local estiiblishmeuts do not 
come under our observation. 

At the request of Congressman Hamilton, we undertook to d(>vis(> 
some sort of a bill to overcome these obj(>cti(ms. If the committee 
can make any suggestions to iuiprove this bill they would have my 
hearty support. The object which I had in mind, and which 1 think 
we all had in mind, is to prevent the cruelty to these extremely small 
and delicate aninuils. 

The Chairman. I would lik(^ to improve it as a practical proposition 
by prolubiting the killing and offering for sale of any meat of a calf 
until it is two years old, so that it will get big enough and f;it enough 
to provide cheaper beef. 

Mr. Mei>vin. I think that would increase the beef su|)ply and 
cheapen beef. We have had communications along that line, but we 
hardlv thought the Congress would entertain a bill of that sort. We 
haveliad, as Dr. Rowley has explained, many instances of these ship- 
ments where the most extreme cruelt}' has been involved. The 
owners of these calves, I don't mean the producers of them, but the 
speculators in them, it is their business, they are engaged in it con- 
stantly, and they are deserving of no sympathy. Tliis bill is aimed 
particularly at reaching these shipments in the northeastern States. 
it was rather a sur])rise to me to know that the southwest cattle 
growers would have anj' objection at all, because their general custom 
is to take the cows away from tlie calves after they are several months 
old, and there may be exce|)tiomxl times, in cases of drought, whei-e it 
would be necessary to divide them, and I have known of instances, 
such as he gave, where it has been necessary to Idll calves and lambs 
in orthu' to save the nuithers. 

Mr. J. A. ]\1.VRTIN. Ordinary, or range, cattle people do not have 
any bob veal business ? 

Mr. Melvin. Not at all. As a general proposition, the Sf)uthwest 
is the breeding territory for our beef supply. 

The Chairman. Bob veal is a i\ew Enghmd delicacy, is it ? 

Mr. Melvin. It is not used generally as meat. They raise their 
calves principally for the sake of growing them into cattle, and it is 
the exception rather than the rule to kill them for beef; isn't that 
right ? 

Mr. J. A. Martin. On the range the calves run with the cows about 
until the next one comes along, or until thev round them ui) in the 
fall. 

Mr. ^fcGowAN. What is bob veal? 

Mr. Melvin. The term "bob veal" is apjilied to the veal of unborn 
calves and calves that are very voting. Often it has been the custom 
with some slaughterers to take well develo])ed calves that are yet 
41920^12 2 



18 INTERSTATE SHIPMEXT OF IMMATURE CALVES. 

Liiihoni and use the nu-at, ami that has been called bob veal. Then 
thev take very young calves, from a week old up to the time of birtli. 
That is what is generally known as bob veal. 

We have prosecuted argreat many of these railroads for violating 
the 28-hour law. It is an expensive jjroposition and takes a great 
deal of time to get sufficient evidence to hold the case in court, and 
we have succeeded in having quite a large number of fines imjiosed 
by the court; but there is a great deal of this done that is not under 
the jiirisdiction of this law. This ai)plies to the time tliat tliey ure 
in tra'.isit. There is possible l^alf a day to a day before the calves 
are loaded, and that much time elapses, perhaps, after they are 
unloaded, so that even when you get the 28-hour proposition, that 
can be extended to 3G on the written re-quest of tlie shippi-r. Then, 
add this additional time before loading and after loading to that 36 
hours and you have got two or three days where the animals are 
absolutely without anything to eat. Thay want to eat and can not 
eat, because thay haven't learned how to eat, and that ])retence that 
tliey go through of feeding them is a mere farce. We found men 
who would put in a case of eggs, claiming tliat tlrey broke the eggs 
and fed raw eggs to the calves. They woidd get more egg on tlie 
outside of the calf than on the inside of them. It isn't practical. 

There is one letter wliich I would like to read, which illustrates 
many that we have received, and tliis one I think would serve the 
|)ur|)ose. This is a letter written by our inspectors at Worcester, 
I\Iass. It is addressed to me. 

For your information I wish to advise you lliut X. Y. ('. car No. 26297, coutainiiia; 
approximately 140 calves, o cows, and a bull, shipped March 23, 1!U2, from New 
York, consigned to J. Malone, Providence, R. 1., in care of New York (.'entral and 
15. & R. R., 28-hour limitation, was reported as fed and watered at Alliany March 
2.5 at 2 p. m., and arrived at Worcester at 11.30 a. ni., March 2G, and was transferred 
to N. Y., N. H. & H. yards at 12.30 p. m. on March 26. There was from March 23, 
1912, to March 20, noon, and it was unloaded antl fed and watered at 1.30 |). ni. At 
the time of unloading we found 17 calves in one cow bin. Many calves were in a 
semiexhaustod condition and, in my judgment, many calves were not over 10 days 
old, and the cows wei'e in a very poor condition and were nearly exhausted from 
lieing nursed by so many calves. The stock was unloaded in the N. Y'., N. H. & H. 
yards and fed, and the dead ones removed. Ten cans, contLUning 8.5 c|uarts of milk, 
was given to the calves, some of which were too young to drink. The calves were 
reloaded at 6.30 p. m. at Pro\idence, the remaining foiu' cows and the bull were 
loaded info a separate car and .shipped also. 

I could have brought up a large number of letters similar to that; 
l)ut I do not think it is necessary. There is a very great cruelty that 
ought to be abated in some wa\'. If the States will not do it, the Fed- 
eral Government ought to do it. That is about all the testimony that 
I care to give. 

These calves sometimes are brought to Federal places, where we 
nuiintain an inspection, and there our minimum age limit is three 
weeks; but if a calf is ill nursed or for any other reason is unsatisfac- 
tory, it is condemned. 

The weight of the calf, as Mr. Rowley has said, and as you all 
know — the great difference in weight between a little Jersey calf that 
may be 2 months old and a big Ilojstein calf that may be a week old — 
the Holstein may outweigh the Jei'sey. The age, with the other con- 
ditions, it seems, would be the fairest method of determining the 
matter. 

Mr. Smith. Suppose we all agree that these aft'airs that have been 
described here should be legislated against. Don't you thmk that 



INTERSTATE SHIPMENT Ob' IMMATURE CALVES. 19 

instead of an absoluti' proliibitiiin there oUiilit to he some system 
ol' i-eguhition of tliese thin<js, so as not to work a hardship on 
anybody ''. 

Mr. Melvix. AVell, I think all of these methods are a^-reeable to mo 
or any of them that will overcome this ei'uelty and won't go so far as 
(o interfere with legitimate business where it conducted in a humane 
method. 

Mr. Smith. That is exactly what we \van(, as I understand it. 

]Mr. Melvix. I want to say this: That I am not weilded entirely to 
this bill as it stands absolutely; but I am opposed to any furtherance 
of this terrible traffic that has been engaged in so extensively. 

Mr. Driscoll. Is it easy to determine — that is, practically — the 
age of a calf % 

Mr. Melvin. In a live calf it is quite easy — well, within reasonal)le 
limits, yes, sir. As to the dressed calves — in their case you can not 
so readily determine the exact age, although you can determine very 
I'eadily whether the meat should be used oi' not. 

Mr. Smith, fake this bill, which, as I understand it, prevents the 
railroad comjtanies from accepting a calf under 6 weeks old foi' ship- 
ment. How will the railroad agent know whether the calf is .^ weeKs 
old, or 7 weeks old, or bh weeks old, or 6^ weeks old ^ 

Mr. Melvlx. They would have to determine that in their own way. 
ilie same as they have to determine whether they shall receive a ship- 
ment of meat in interstate transportation, or as to whether it should 
be ins])(>cte(l oi' not. 

^Ir. Smith. Wouldn't it lie belter to provide by pro])er regulation 
for the sliipmeiit of these calves^ There would be no olii<'ction to 
shi]iping them in cars by themselves for short distances, would there? 

Mr. Melvix. No; not within reasonable limitations tlicrc would 
not be. 

Mr. CowAX. In the mo\'ement of cattle and sheei), for that matter, 
where your quarantine lines are on the State lines, is it not a fact that 
the railroad compr.nics and other persons are ])rohibite(l from shipping 
except where they have inspected according lo <iiiaraiitinc regula- 
tions? That is true, isn't it? 

Mr. Melvlx. Xot in all cases. 

Ml'. C'owAX. \i)\\ do not allow cattle to be shippcMJ out of Kansas 
without Crovernment inspection I 

Mr. Melvix. We permit the sliipments of that soi't, foi' instance, 
in the Northwest, we have a quarantine for cattle scab, if an owner is 
p(>rmitted to ship cattle that he says are clean on his own statement, 
that is, uninspected clean, in order to facilitate shij)ments. We 
wotdd not have ins])ectors enough to provide all of the inspection 
necessary without entailing a great delay. In these cases there might 
be shipped u])on ])roper affidavit or evidence, and then it could be 
(h^erinined whether that was a false afhdavit or not. 

Mr. CowAX. The ])oint I want to bring out is this enforcement of the 
(juarantine regidations against diseased animals. When yoiu' depart- 
ment makes regulations they have the Cifect of all 

The Chairman. Doctor, will you be able to finish your statement 
at this time, or would you prefer to have another hearing? 

Mr. CoAVAX. I would like to finish this statement. 

The Chairmax. The time for adjt)in-nment has arrived, (io ahead 
with your question if he is going to get through. 



20 INTEBSTATE SHIPMENT OF IMMATURE CALVES. 

Mr. CowAN. Isn't it a I'tu-t tliat il' it could he jji'ovided to have sucJi 
inspection in all localities, and that inspection was ]:)ro])erly enforced, 
woukhrt that be all that would be neccssaiy ? 

Mr. Melvix. ^'ou mean in case 

Mr. CoWAX. Take Massachusetts for exain]jle. Why couldn't the 
de))artnient be given authority to make these regulations wherever 
they found im])roper handling of these animals had been c-arried on. 

Mr. Melvix. Well, it isn't alwa^ys desirable to place all of the respon- 
sibiUty upon the shoulders of an administrative officer. We would 
like to have Congress bear some of the ))urden. 

Mr. Cowan. We are regulating everything. We have got to do it. 
We have got to let legitimate business go oil Su]^posing the stock- 
men, and the vState boards of health, and the sanitary i>oards of the 
diii'erent States would gel into communication in such a way as to do 
away with this. That would reach all of the evil and yet not do any 
harm. Would you be willing to aid in that way!' 

Mi-. Melvix. Well, I would like to consider the matter further; I 
wouldn't like to give an opinion oirhand. 

Mr. Hamilton. Just one cjuestion in connection with Judge 
Cowan's suggestioiL I am not certain about it, but the ciuestion oc- 
curs to me whether you can convict a man for the violation of a rule 
made by a department, "i'ou could convict him for the violation of a 
law passed by the legislature or by Congress, of course, but can you 
permit a department to make a ruling and convict a man for violation 
of that department-made rule? That has been under discussion, and 
there is a case in Coloi'ado, and according to my recollection it was 
held it could not be done. 

Mr. Cow.vx. It can be done. It is tlone in the grazing and in the 
forest reserves. 

Mr. Martin. That is what I was just saying, Mr. Hamilton, that 
the Supreme Court of the United States has decided that out in the 
West in the forest reserves that such penalties can be enforced. 

Mr. Cowax. They can l)e enforced: they were enforced and 
sustained. 

Mr. IIamiltox. That is, where the rule is drawn within the law 
itself. 

The Chaikman. We are very much obligetl to y(ni, Doctor, for yoin- 
appearance here. 

Mr. Murray. Mr. Chairman and gentlenn^n, I have ju.st received 
a telegram from Francis X. Mahoney, of Boston, the commissioner 
of health, as follows: 

Bo.'iTON', .\fA.ss., April ..'. mi..'. 
Hon. William A. Murkay, 

House of Represcnttitives, Washiitglon, D. ('.: 

Huupe bill introduced liy Ilaniiltdii, of Mirhifian, relative to Iransiiortation of calve.« 
under (j weeks of age, in before the interstate and I'orei^n AITairs Uoniiniltee to-day. 
April :i. Boston is more vitally concerned than any other city. Hob veal traffic can 
be entirely stopped by the passage of thi.s bill, and this board is unanimously in faxnr 
of its pa.ssage. Please consult and aid Dr. .\lelvin, of the Bureau of Animal Industry. 

Franci.s X. Mahoney, 

Comiiiissiotnr of Health. 

I also want to say, Mr. Chairman, that I received a hdter from the 
mayor of the city of Boston in regard to this matter, setting out sub- 
stantially the arguments that were maile by Dr. Rowley here in sup- 
port of tlie ]n'ndiiig measure, 11. \{. 17272. I simply desire to state 



INTERSTATE SHIPMENT OF IMMATURE CALVES. 21 

lliaL the ])uhlic soiitiinonl of Boston, and of that part of Massachu- 
setts around Boston, is entirely in syin]5athy with some sort of legis- 
hition of tiiis kind. Soni(^ of our newspapers iiavc^ ah-eady liad edito- 
rials in favor of it, and we believe tliat at least this bill, if not some- 
Ihing along more extensive lines than this, should be reported out, 
so that it may be enacted into law before the adjournment of this 
session of Congress. 

Mr. Drisc'oll. Do you admit thai Boston is iiiea])al:)le of taking 
care of itself? 

Mr. ^luRRAY. We have ahvaj's found where we have attemj)ted to 
<lo that, to urge action on the ))art of the local legislature, in the 
matter of interstate business, that it is to our disadvantage in one 
form or another if W(^ pass laws which other vStatcs will not come uj) to. 

Mr. Driscoll. They say that they are shii)i)ing calves from Nc^w 
^ Ork into Massachusetts, because New York has better laws and 

1 hey are better enforced. Why don't you ])ass good laws and enforce 
iheni^ 

The Chairman. The c(unmiltee is very much obliged to you. Judge 
.Murray, for your enlightening slatemenl, aiicl the counnittee will 
take a recess till 2.00 p. m. 

Whereu])on the committee took a I'ecess to 2.;!(i |). iii. 

AFTER RECESS. 

The Chairm.\n. The committee will c()nui to oi'(h'r. 

STATEMENT OF J. H. BENNEDICT, SUPERINTENDENT STEVENS- 
SWAN HUMANE SOCIETY, UTICA, N. Y. 

Mr. Benneuict. M]-. Chairman and gentlenuui of tlie c<immittee, I 
iiav(^ not a set speech, gentlenu_>n, to deliver, but 1 am simply here t(.) 
tell you some facts in regard to the shipment of one car of stock, 
which a])peals to us as a humane society, and which seems to call for 
action by this committee and by the body which you rejjresenf to 
try and do away with the circumstancc^s that will permit such 
cruelties. 

On March 2U, last, in the village of New Bin-lin, Chenango County, 
Mr. J. C. Ellsworth, a cattle buyer and a shipper, loaded into a car 

2 bulls and 3 cows which wei'c partitioned otV in one (>nd of the car, 
and 1 veal calf, claimetl to be 4 weeks old, and r>7 bob calves, none 
claimed to be over 1 week of age, were brought for shipment, and 10 
of them were so exceedingly youthful and weak that they were not 
|ilac(^d in the car, and they simply idaced Ihc 47 in the cai'. 

Mr. KowLEY. At your ref[U(wt (^ 

Mr. Bexnedict. At oui' request: yes, sir. The one calf that \\:is 
brought there — I said to the farmer who bi'ought the calf to tlic c:ir 
door, looking wet and hardly able to stand — in fact, he did not stand 
until he was lifted u])on his feet from the wagon: " Diil you have tli<> 
misfortune of dropping this calf into a mudlioh^ oti the way to the 
carT' lie said, "Oh, no: 'hat calf only came last night." Well, 
I hen, theri^ was a calf 12 hours of age being shi|)ped in a car. This 
\illage of New Berlin is th(^ southern terminal of the A'alley Railroad, 
ami 20 mihw distant fi'om Bridgewater, the northern tei'minal of the 
same rout(>. The car was loaded, and (he (rain stiirtcd, leaving New 



22 INTERSTATE SHIPMENT OF IMMATURE CALVES. 

Berlin at 11.15 a. ni. It stopped at Loonanlsvillc, and there 17 head 
oi' bob veal wc^re added to the oar, and at Bridgewater 15 more were 
brought in a wagon, but (ine of them in sucli conditi<in that it was 
rejected. 

The train was loaded and ready to leave the station at Bridgewater 
at 1.30 p. ni. on the 29th. It was placed in the yard at Utica, the 
D., L. & W. yard, Ijy the D., L. l*c W. train at 6.50 \xm. the same night, 
and remained there until 1.11 a. m. the morning of tlie 30th, when it 
was conveyed by a New York Central engine to the New York Central 
tracks. At 8.45 o'clock that morning the yai'dmaster, the telegraph 



eiegrapii 
that th(> 



operator, anil yardmaster's office at West Albany advised us tlni 
car left Utica at 4.30 a. m. that morning. It anivod at West Albany 
yard at 5.31. They unloaded the mature stock, and commenced to 
feed the calves at p. m. and finished feeding them at 7.30 p. ni., and 
while it was very pathetic, it was really very amusing to see the man- 
ner in which the calves were fed; and I would say here that one was 
dead in the oar and was moved out. 

Mr. Rowley. Just state that you were present. 

Mr. Bexxedict. I certainly was present at each of these stages that 
I am telling you about. Tlu^ gentleman, Mr. Patrick Iloran, who has 
charge of tlie feeding yards at West Albany, hiformed me that they 
alwa^'s feed the stock that is left there in this manner. I would say 
that in this case, where the carload of stock was shipped from New 
Berlin, I saw the waybill which accomjianied them with orders to stojj 
and feed at West .^bany. I asked Mr. Iloran how he fed the stock, 
and he said, "Oh, we feed them with a mixture of water and meal, 
a sort of a glue that we make." This was some time before the oar 
ari-ived; but when the car arrived he had with him in all five assist- 
ants; th(>re were four men and a l)(>y, three men that he ein])loye(l 
and anotlier volunfeei' and a boy, so that there were five a.ssisfing him, 
besides himself. They liatl buckets and pails which he said were "14- 
quart pails," and looked like that to me, as they held about that; 
as they were brought there containing about \'2 t[uarts in each pail. 
There were nine ])ails of mixture brought to feed the calves, and they 
liad two quai't di])])ers and two funnels and pieces of hose attached 
to the ends of the fimnels, so that if any calves could not eat from the 
])ail or the di])])(>r they could raise u]) their head and ]iut a rubber 
hose in tlieir mouth and pour some of this mixtui'e down their throats. 
For men who had had experience over a number of years in a stock- 
yard and had been f ceiling the calves every week, as they claimed to 
have done, it was amusing to see them try to feed the calves. It 
struck me that they were certainly very careful to be hygienic and 
sanitary. I said at the same time: "Do you purchase new utensils 
for feeding each car, so as not to contaminate any car by using the 
same utensils that have been used for feeding a previous car," because 
the ])ails and the funnels were a])])arently just from the shoj) and had 
never lieen used from their a])])earanre. lie said, "No: we had to 
get them to-day, as we couldn't linil our other stock utensils." 

Nine pails of this food was brought to the car. About the fourth 
pail, I sliould say, somewhere along the fore part of the feeding, Mr. 
K. IT. Murray, who was also present at the time, took a bottle and 
dipped into one of the pails which they were feeding from, saying 
that they wished to sample it, and he corked up the bottle, and then 
Mr. Horan came back with the pail and set it down in front of us 



INTERSTATE SHIPMENT OF IMMATURE CALVES. 23 

and said: "Mr. Bciinodift, you havo l)een asking us a lot of (juostioiis 
and asking favors, and now I want you to do us a favor. I want 
you to liave a sample of this milk (as he styled it). 1 am feeding 

these ealves four cans of red hrand which contains so much 

mUk to each pail, and we are making up the balance with warm 
water." He said that it would be unnecessary, as we already had a 
sam])le of the milk, but not from the pail that he desired us to take 
it from. That composition, whatever it is, was placed right there 
in the hands of a veterinary — I can't tell you his first name — Dr. 
Harris, of Albany, and he was to have it examined and report upon 
it, and Mr. Koran said that if it was not the right strength to let 
him know and they would make it U]) just as we told them to ilo. 
Certainh' the whole ])roceeding had quite the appearance of "fish." 

The cans wei'e put back into the car, and the car door nailetl up at 
7.30 p. m. that night. At 10 o'clock p. m. the car was reported 
shipped by way of the B. & A. to Brighton Yard, which is the stock- 
yard, one of the stockyards at least, for Boston, and at S.47 p. ni. on 
Sunday night, the 31st day of March, the car arrived in the yard, 
and was placed at J. J. Kelly & Co.'s abattoir, at 9.55 p. m., where 
the car was unloaded. The calves were taken inside at the yard, 
and the otiicers who were present wei'e Mr. Harry L. Allan and Mr. 
Walter B. Burke, of the Massachusetts Society, and we ordered 
them to take the calves and feed them, as it would be past the time 
limit before they would kill them the next morning. They were 
shipped from Iveonardsville to Mr. I3aggs — A. M. Baggs, Bi'ighton, 
Mass. 

\\ hen they arrived at Brigliton, Mass., the two l)ulls had been 
taken from the car, and the car was consigned to Mr. .1. .1. Kelly & 
Co., who are the butchers or abattoirs at the yard. The car left X(>w 
Berlin at 11.15, 20 miles to Bridgewater, and 10 miles from there to 
ITtica, and 91' miles to West Albany. That distance of 131 miles 
was covered in 29 hours and 16 minutes. From West Albany to 
Brighton, a distance of 223 miles, there were 23 hours and 55 minutes, 
and added to that time, tlic lay-over in West Albany from 5.31 until 
10 o'clock in the evening. \A hen they took the calves from the car 
at West Brighton, 12 of them were so weak, while they wei'e yet 
alive, that they had to be carried from the car and i)laced in the 
wagon, as they could not stand up in the wagon. As th(\v could not 
stand up in the car they were trampled upon l)y the other cah'es that 
were stronger. 

I do not know that there is anything more that 1 have to say. I 
just waiitcnl to state those facts. 

The Chairman. The authorities in Massachusetts tamely submit 
to have that sort of stuif i)u.t on their market '. 

Mr. Benxedict. My dear sir, I do not live in Massachusetts. 

The Chairman. Didn't this load of calves go to Massachusetts^ 

Mr. Bennedict. Yes, sir; they went to Massachusetts, but I fol- 
lowed them from New Yoi-k. We can stop their shi])])ing calves in 
.\e\v York from one place in New York to another place in New York, 
but the attorney general holds — the attorney general of the State of 
.\ew York — that we have no authority, in accordance with the inter- 
state-commerce law, to interfere with calves sliip|)e<| be\diid the 
limits of the State. 



24 INTERSTATE SHIPMENT OF IMMATURE CALVES. 

The Chairman. That is, provided that they are le^al and decent 
shi])ments. But suppose you were to have an ahercation with a man 
about an interstate-commerce shipment in New York, would lie hold 
that the State court could not ])ut you in jail for knocking; a fellow 
down because it was an interstate shipment * 

Mr. Bennedict. I do not know; 1 do not want him to try it on me. 

The Chairman. Now, if jieople go the extent of barbarity and 
indecency and cruelty, both the calves and the people trpng to feed 
the calves, it looks to me, would come right under the police regula- 
tions, and if somebody interfereil they ought to be arrested ancl ]nit 
in jail for it. 

Mr. Bennedict. I returned from Boston Monday night, and came 
here, ami ai'Hved this morning. When I go home I shaU knlge a 
formal com])laint against the young man who shijijted the calves, and 
see if we have any redress with him. 

The Chairman. I do not beheve that it is provided in any of the 
re])orts of the commission, or of the Commerce Court, or the Supreme 
Court, or anywhere else, in connection with interstate shi))ments, that 
anyone can be guilty of gross, cruel, and vile and immoral conduct of 
that kind. I do not think that is protected by the interstate-com- 
merce law at all. 

Mr. vS.MiTii. Will you please tell us, if you have not already done so, 
what your State laws are that apjdy with regard to the shi])ping of 
calves within the State of New York ( 

Mr. Bennedict. I am not a lawyer, and I do not know that I can 
state that. 

Mr. Smith. I thought you had regulations or laws prohibiting that? 

Mr. Bennedict. We have a lawyer here from oiu- State. I am 
simply trying to call attention to some of these things in an effort to 
save the poor animals from being tortured. I believe this law, which 
has your consideration at this time, if it could be passed, would do 
away with all of this, and will do awav with it absolutely. 

Mr. (ioEKE. Are these ])ra( tices indulged in in your State, do you 
kntiw i 

Mr. Bennedict. I couldn't say as to shij)ments in New Y'ork State, 
but they are an every week occurrence, and they are constantly 
taking ]ihue, and the complaint came to us as a society, and I wanted 
to follow it uj) and see what there was to it, and take such action as 
we could. I know nothing aiiout this matter ])ending here, and I 
knew nothing about it at all until I arrived in Albany, and we there 
tele])honed to the ])resident of the luitionaJ association, who is also 
])resi(lent of the Mohawk and Hudson Association, Dr. W. (). Stillman, 
and he said he was very glad that I was after that load; that they were 
getting data to ])resent before the committee here, and he would have 
a genthnnan meet me and go with me. I didn't know that I would 
go through, out of the State, but after I started I hated to give u]) 
until I got to the end of it, so I came down here 

Mr. EsCH. Is there a law in the .State of New Y'ork against the sale 
of unwholesome and immature meats ( 

Mr. Bennedict. Y"es, sir; and those laws are being enforced. We 
are enforcing them in our city, and enforcing them in New Y'ork City. 
This bob veal, these people do not dare to ship that into New York 
City. Tliey do not dare to shij) it into Buffalo, or to ship it to iUbany. 
The interstate-commerce law permits them to ship it out of the State, 



INTERSTATE SHIPMENT OF lilMATfEE CALVES. 25 

and it is so held by our attorney general, and that is the very tiiinj; 
which has tied our hands so that we can not do anything. 

Mr. GoEKE. If the State of Massachusetts liad a law of a similar 
nature it would be enough to cover Ixith States, wouhhi't it ^ 

Mr. Bennedict. It would, so far as that is concerned, but that 
wouldn't affect the other States. 

Mr. GoEKE. If every State had such a law '. 

Mr. Bennedict. Yes, sir; that would help undoubtedly. 

The C'iiAiRM.\N. The eviilence before this committee seems to l)e 
that no other State buys such stufl' except Massachusetts. 

Mr. Bennedict. Connecticut 

The Chairman. I didn't hear that ]>art of the testimony. 

Mr. Bennedict. I have had complaints fiom Mr. Love, who is the 
president of tiie Connecticut society, asking in regard to the l)obs that 
Were shi])ped just north of us, from the village of Kemsen. 

1 was talking to a gentlemen who was on the train last nighl going 
from New York — a shi})ment from I'tica to New 'i'ork City on the 
Km])ire — going down to look after a shipment of veal calves that he 
had secured there, and they were on the way. He had read a little 
account that was in the Utica ])apers in regard to the tri]) that we 
bad made, and the suggestion that we might go to Washington. 
1I(^ said to me, "If you go to Washington, by all means, if you can, 
stoji fliis trallic in bobs, as it will be of benefit to every person." 

Now, they tell you about the money that there is in it. The farmer 
can get a certain ])rice for his calf, lie gets about — tliis man bmight 
these calves, and he told me that he jiaid $1.50 and $12, according Id 
the ((uality. I saw him pay for those calves that day, .|'2, exce|)t in 
one instance where live calves were bought, one of them was a very 
insigniiicant one, and looked nn)re like a jack rabbit than like a calf, in 
size, and he gave him .flO for the si.x. lie told me that he sold these 
calves in New Berlin to Mr. Baggs, who gave him •f.'j for every calf 
that lived to get through to Brighton. They ])ay %b i'oi' them, but if 
any die on the way the seller loses that. He was paying $:; apiece, 
and Mr. Baggs was ]>aying him .$5, but he stood tiie loss by death. 

There is a ])resuni])tion, of course, which would not stand as testi- 
mony, but we figured that had we not stopped the 11 calves from 
being shipped that wen- not able to stand, ami thos<^ tbat did stand 
wiggled back and forth, and they were such little things; tliey were 
not to exceed 24 hours in age, and in all probability that entire num- 
ber would have been dead in the car when they arrived at the yards 
at Brighton, but they were weeded out, and consequently they were 
in better shape on that account. Then they were fed at West Albany. 
While the 78 calves in the car only r(>ceived an a]>pro.ximate amount 
of lOS (juarts, less what was si)illed in feetling it to them, and the 
probal)ilities are that they received an amount less than 3 pints, yet 
that would have a tendency to strengthen them, as a half a loaf is 
better than no loaf at all. 

The gentleman who met me said that it was very rarely that a car- 
load of stock had come into Boston or Brighton even from shorter dis- 
tances in so good shajic as this car did, and they were in a shape that 
was bad enougli. As I said, there were a dozen of them that had to 
be pick(^d uj) and carried from the car. 

Mr. EscH. Have you in your experience found any violations of the 
28-hour law with reference to the shi])ment of calves'^ 



26 INTEBSTATE SHIPMENT OF IMMATTJEE CALVES. 

Mr. Benxedk'T. This is tlie only case tliat 1 have fuUowed (Hrectly; 
tiiat is, referrini; to a shipment of calves. I liavc directed our attor- 
Jiey to briiifj a number of cases against the New York Central for vio- 
lation of the law in reganl to the shi])ment of otiier stock. Our attor- 
ney has taken the cases up with the New York Central, eight cases, 
where they have tlelayed cattle, and hogs, and horses beyond the limit. 
In one case there were calves in the car with the others. 

The Chairman. Don't you think there would be a fair field of 
enterprise for gentlemen interested in each community, to organize 
a comjiany to buy up all of these unfortunate calves and take charge 
of them and raise them into good beef, and then sell them* That 
would not only take care of the calf, but would make for a profit on 
tlie beef. It woiddn't take very much ent(>rprise in each community 
to do that beneficent work, and it would be a great thing for the 
country. 

Mr. Bennedict. Unfortunately, our territory is rather thickly 
populated, and we might seciu'e them, if it were not for transferring 
them to some of our States that are further removed, where they have 
more teri'itorv. 

Mr. Diiist'OLi,. What remedy would you suggest for the jjeople 
ai-ound oui- part of the State? For instance, all down through the 
eastern part of the State they are morc^ anxious to get milk, because 
that pays better than anything else — if it would be put up to them 
to kiil the calves as soon as they are calved, and get the skins if thej' 
ai'e worth anything. 

^Ir. Bennedict. They an^ getting from $1 .50 to .12 for the calves. 

Mr. Driscoll. How much for the skins ? 

Mr. Bennedict. The skins ai'e worth iiSl.lS and the stomach is 
worth 15 cents, making .|1.3(). 

Mr. Driscoll. Your idea is that tliese carcasses should not be sold 
for anytiiing except the hide? 

Mr. Bennedict. Excejjt for the liide and the r(>nnet. 

Mr. Drlscoll. The rennet ^ 

Mr. Bennedict. The rennet. 

Mr. EscH. How about the liver ? I thought that was eaten. 

Mr. Bennedict. It is eaten, but it is a little premature for good 
<'ating. 

Mr. PjSCH. If we get it ])assed by an inspector? 

The Chairman. I think it is premature to eat liver at any time. 

Mr. Driscoll. Is it sokl as a luxury, the rennet, at that age '. 

^Ir. Bennedict. Well, it ought not to be. That is what we are 
asking you gentlemen to help us for, so that we can jjrevent it. 

Mr. Driscoll. The only way to jjievent that would be to have the 
calf killed, and just take the hides and let the rest go? 

Mr. Bennedict. If there is a jienalty of !|20, a minimum fine of 
$20, and perha])s a fine of $50 for each case that follows that can be 
inijiosed upon a nnin who sells it, and ujjon the man who buys it, 
and u|)on the railroad that transfers it or trans])orts it, that wilt stop 
it and sto]) it inunediately. 

Mr. Driscoll. I would make it imprisonment; I wouldn't botlier 
with a fine in the case of a man who will sell bob veal for fooil. 

Mr. Bennedict. You will have eveiy one of your neighbors up 
there (the Farmers) in jail. 



INTERSTATE SHIPMENT OF IMMATURE CALVES. 27 

Mr. Driscoll. All rijj^lit : tlioy would go there if thev would sell 
hob veal for food. 

The Chairman. Mi-. Bennediet, the .suggestion that I made to you 
is eutirel}' praetieal. I have seen it tried many a time, and instead 
of these societies coming to Congress to ask for this sort of release, 
if some one in each community would take it u]ion themselves to 
accjuire these discarded calves from tiiose who are too stingy to bring 
Ihem up, they can keep them and raise them until they are of some 
value, and make money on it. That would not only relieve the 
peo]ile of the danger of that sort of .stulT on the market, but it would 
actually mean money for those who would take the calves and raise 
them until they are large enough to make beef lit to eat. 

^Ir. Benxedict. I haven't a question, sir, but that that is true, 
if we had some philanthropist, as it would have to be a ])liilanthro]nst, 
to start this work, and others would follow him. In that case 1 
<ion't tlunk we would be paying L'5 cents and .SO cents ;i pound for 
the i)eef we are eating. 

The Chairman. That is right; the calves couhl be raised and they 
would turn out into good beef. 

Mr. Driscoll. Is it your judgment that the only thing that could 
l)e done is to kill the calves right on the spot and keep the hides and 
throw the rest away '^ 

Mr. Bennedict. I do not know of anything else. 

Mr. Driscoll. Are you not afraid now, as a New Yorker, that if 
you stop the farmers in your country and mine from sending tliis 
stuif to Boston that they will actually dump it into New York I 

Mr. Benxedict. 1 chm't think tiie authorities in New Yoi'k will 
.•dlow them to come there. We have got a law to ]irevent it. 

Mr. Driscoll. A law isn't worth a cuss unless it is enforced. I 
do not see why Massachusetts can not make a law and enforce it. 

Mr. Rowley. We can't make a State law and prohibit the ship])ing 
of these calves into Massachusetts if they come in by |)ermission of 
the laws of New Ytn'k State. 

The Chairman. You can catch them just as soon as they are 
luiloaded and they try to dispose of them, and put every ])ai'ty in 
jail that handles them. 

Mr. Rowley. We can not. 

The Chairman. Why not? They are out of the original package. 

Mr. Rowley. We can already prosecute them f(ir eiuelty, wherc^ 
a man ships them out of the State. 

The Chairman. Can't you ])rosecute the fellow who sells them '. 

Mr. Rowley. That is very true, but if our local ins]iectors ]iass 
them then our liand.s are tied. 

Mr. Driscoll. I do not know why there isn't sentiment enough to 
enforce such a law, but it is a curious thing that Massachusetts has 
got to ask Congress for a law covering these cases. 

Mr. Rowley. Let me say that as a result of this agitation we did 
get through the legislature last year a bill jiroviding for the centraliza- 
tion of the meat ins|)ection of the State of Massachusetts by the 
Massachusetts State Board of Health with the understanding that the 
work of ins])ection should be the same as that carried on by the Federal 
department. This bill was passed and we thought we had won a 
great victorv, and that we were going to be able to control this thing, 



28 INTERSTATE SHIPMENT OF IMMATURE CALVES. 

but we found afterwards that there was no ai)])ro])riation made for 
the exeeution of that hiw. Consequently, the Department of Puhhc 
Ilealtli in Massaciuisetts has r(»fused to do a singh' tiling in regard 
to it. 

The Chairman. Suppose Congress proviiles regulation of the kind 
you want, and provides for a number of inspectors in Boston, don't 
you suppose that a lot of Boston men would ask to be appointed ? 

Mr. KowLEY. Mr. Chairman, if this bill becomes a law, I can 
guarantee that the ^Massachusetts Society for the Protection of 
Cruelty to Animals, through the cooperation of the Federal depart- 
ment, will see that it will be enforced from one end of the State to 
the other. 

The Chairman. Hasn't your society got as mueli regard for the 
Ileal th of the people as you have for the calves^ 

Mr. Rowley. We are doing the very best we can. 

The Chairman. It looks to me as if you could watch the market 
and keep these premature carcasses away from the people. 

Mr. Rowley. We do the best we can. Our function isn't to 
deal with the health of the ]ieople primarily. That is a secondary 
consideratit)n with us. But at the same time we are doing everything 
we can for the public health. 

Mr. Driscoll. Have you in your country an organization for the 
prevention of cruelty to human beings^ 

Mr. Rowley. I suppose there are children's societies. 

The Chairm.\n. You might amend your by-laws to extend your 
functions. 

Mr. Driscoll. Go on, Mr. Rowley, I didn't want to interrupt you. 

Mr. Hamilton. I want to ])resent Mr. Murray, held secretary of the 
American Humane Association, but before ilr. Murray proceeds I 
want to make this statement: I have a memorandum which was sent 
to me i)y the Agricultural De])artment, which was compiled u])on an 
investigation conducted by the de])artmcnt under the supervision of 
Dr. Melvin. Tins traflic is not confined to New England and New 
York. A good deal of it is to the west of Buffalo and in that part of 
the country tributary thereto. I want to say, j\tr. Chairman, that 
1 knew but very little about these splendid organizations for the pre- 
vention of cruelty to animals except as I had read of their work. I 
had never had the pleasure of meeting any of these gentlemen, aiul 
my attention was originally attracted to this ))ractic(> l)y a shipjier of 
cattle in my own country. He asked me if I knewanytiiing about it, 
and after describing it to me he asked me if there was not some way oi 
)>reventing it. Thereupon I began correspondence with Dr. ^lelviiL 
This was something like three years ago. He said there was not any 
way to prevent it under the law, and I asked that an investigation l)e 
made looking toward some kind of curative statute. He advised me 
that he had no means of making an investigation except througli the 
regular force of agents and inspectors and that it would take some 
time, but that he would do the best he could, and along in last Se])- 
tember he reported, and a condition was revealed which astoni-shed 
me, and as a result of that I introduced this bill. I had no idea of the 
widespread prevalence of the condition which has been described 
here. It seems to me that every man who hates cruelty ought to try 
to do something to prevent it. 

The Chairman. Wouldn't you make it stronger if you said, " Every 
man who loves good victuals'' ? 



INTERSTATE SHIPMENT OF IMMATURE CAEVEP. 29 

Mr. Hamilton. I duii't know. Of course, I IVoJ tluit way about it, 
l)ut the other side of it — the cruelty side — touches me. A man that 
would tlo what has been described here for the few dollars there is in 
it ouij;ht to go — ought to be punished and ought to be stopped. 

Mr. GoEKE. I do not think there is anyone who approves of the 
practice, but isn't it purely a local matter that the police regulations 
of a town or city ought to hamUe absohitely ^ 

Mr. Hamilto.v. Why, if you take that view of it, you wouldn't 
have interstate commerce regulation by the Federal Government. 
The cor])orations of this country are organized under laws of the 
various States, and we talk about States undertalcing U) regulate 
trafhc among the several States, but 

Mr. GoEKE. This traffic, this is a crime. 

Mr. Hamilton. This is traffic, and tliis is the onl>' way in which 
we can reach it, and it is a legitimate w^ay in which to reacli it. It 
is suggested here tliat the States themselves ought to regulate these 
conditions, and that is true, but you gentlemen know that the States 
do not regidate things which might be consitler(>d of wi(l(>r importance 
than this traffic. They tlo not get together. 

The Chairjian. Suiipose that carload of calves had been turned 
loose on you and your people had l)een threatened with being fed on 
dead baby calves, would it have taken you more than 15 minutes to 
get till' whole bunch in jail^ 

Mr. Hamilton. Our ]H'o]ile live on a higher ]ilane of civilization 
than that. It is disgusting and inhuman, and I woidd use every 
power I had to stop it. 

The Chairman. Couldn't y(ni find jiower mighty quick in your 
town ( 

Mr. Hamilton. I woidd try to. 

Mr. Murray. In the great cities, with politics I'unning youi- boards 
of health and everything else, what can you expect ( 

The Chairman. Take a little interest in politics. 

Mr. Hamilton. There is a wider phase than that, if the chairman 
will ))ermit me. Forty per cent of our po|)ulation are congested in 
the big cities to-day, if I recall the figures correctly, and they are 
complaining about the scarcity of footl supply, comiilaining about 
the high price of Iving, and here is a practice encouraged, or permitted 
at least, by which these calves are taken and immediately put upon 
the market. There ought to be some way to discourage that sort of 
thing, to encourage the raising of more cattle, and this legislation 
will help. 

The Chairman (interposing). You can swear ine; I never have 
eaten a piece of veal in my life and never will; veal nor liver. 

Mr. Driscoll. Don't you see that if you pass this law, you don't 
help the New York people ( 

ilr. Hamilton. I don't know but that the New York peo])le have 
reached the stage where you can not help them. 

]\Ir. Driscoll. You pass this law and you do not help the people 
of New York or Buffalo. 

Mr. Hamilton. A nuiii that would make a calf suffer that way and 
would foist that kind of food 

Mr. EsCH (interposing). Mr. Hamilton 

Mr. Driscoll. The butchers are the only ones making any i)ro(it 
out of it? 

Mr. Hamilton. I would put them ail in jail. 



30 INTERSTATE SHIPMENT OF IMMATURE CALVES. 

Mr. EscH. You remember the investigation in the matter of pvire 
food and (h'ligs. It was argued that this should be left to the power 
of the tlitferent States, the matter of preventing the transportation 
of impure foods or adulterated drugs. 

You stated that you had a statement from Mr. Melvin, giving the 
prevalence of this practice. I think that you ought to put that into 
the record. 

Mr. Hamilton. I will do so. 

Mr. Driscoll. This bill isn't to prevent the transijortation in 
interstate commerce of impure food. It is to stop the suffering of 
those animals. 

I\Ir. Hamilton. Well, you know yourself that it not onlj' is intended 
to prevent an inhuman practice, but to prevent the unloatiing of 
disgusting stufl ypon the market for the people to eat unknowingly. 

Mr. Driscoll. I should think you would make that the gravamen 
of your bill. 

Mr. Hamii/i'ox. I will incorporate here the memorandum furnishetl 
by Dr. Melvin. 

MEMORANDUM IN RE BILL TO REGULATE INTER.«TATE TRANSPORTATION OF IMMATURE 

CALVES. 

The shipment for slaughter of very youns? calves in interstate coininerce has grown 
into a practife. The reports f)f department agents and officials of State sanitary live- 
stock boards and of the State and national live-stock humane associations show that 
shippers of live stock take young calves not yet weaned and therefore incapable of 
taking any other kind of nf)urishment than milk, separate them from their mothers, 
and ship them to distant points in interstate commerce. At the time of slaughter 
these young animals have often been separated from their iiKJthers for three or four days 
or more. In some cases calves are permitted to run with Iheir mothers until the 
time of shiijment, and in these instances the cruelty of shipping them for long dis- 
tances is extreme and results in a ]X'riiid of absolute starvation. 

The president of the Massachusetts Humane Society states that the majority of young 
calves shipjied to the stockyards of that State are fatigued and more or less exhausted, 
many dying on the way. The opinion of Mr. Frank Burke, of Niles, Mich., a well- 
informed stockman, who expresses the hope that something will be done to put a 
stop to the cruelty practiced in the shipment of young calves in interstate commerce, 
is typical of the position of a great many other shippers. 

Another well-informed shipper cites a not uncommon case, in referring to a ship- 
ment of calves 3 weeks old from southwestern Michigan to Buffalo. These calves 
could take no food except from their mothers, and were separated from the cows and 
sent on the journey, which took IS hours or longer. They reached their destination 
nearly dead. The following quotation from a letter from Dr. Francis H. Rowley, 
president of the American Humane Education Society, to the Assistant Secretary of 
Agriculture, describes the cruelties incident to the shipment of very young calves: 

"The dithculty is that these many thousands of young calves which have been 
shi])ped into Massachusetts in crates from New York State, where they can only be 
shipped to be used for dauy purposes, are shipped here to some of our most disrepu- 
table butchers and consigned to them as dairy companies. It seems to me that this 
shipping of them under false pretenses must be a flagrant violation of interstate regu- 
lations at least. They are brought from New York State into Masssachuetts under an 
absolutely false pretense, shipped for example to the Tom Keenan Dairy Co., when 
Tom Keenan is as innocent of any purpose connected with them, except to slaughter 
them, as possible." 

The following quotations from reports of inspectors of the department regarding 
the shipment of very young calves, are also pertinent in this connection: 

Under date of January 3, 1911, Dr. B. P. Wende, inspector in charge, Buffalo, 
N. Y., says: 

"Such animals are not given any more consideration with respect to feed, water, 
and rest than other animals, and have often been confined in cars without feed, water, 
and rest from 3S to 45 hours when unloaded at these yards." 

In fairness it should be said in this connection that it is claimed the calves in these 
cases were fed . 



INTERSTATE SHIPMENT OF IMMATURE CALVES. 31 

Dr. James S. Kelly, inspector in charao, ( li'\plaiid, Ohin, under dale nl' A|)ril I, 
1911, writes as follows: 

"On yesterday, April 3, there were several mixed sliipments of li\e stock at the 
Cleveland rnion Stockyards from points in Michigan. Amoni: these shi]iments were 
a number of very young veal calves. The Cleveland city in.spertors tagged out some 
40 or 50 wliich apparently ranged in age from 8 to 14 days, and which were too young 
to slaughter under the city code. JS'ot being able to slaughter these claves in Cleve- 
land, they were bunched together with others, by Bovver A Bower, live-stcck com- 
mission men, for shipment to Armour & Co., Pittsburgh, Pa." 

In this connection it should be stated that the establishment at Pillslmrgh to 
which the calves were ship])ed was not under inspection b.\ the Department of 
Agricultiu'e. 

Dr. (ieorge Ditewig, traveling iMsi)Cctor for the bureau, writes from Chicaud, 111., 
under date'of July hS, laOS, as follows: 

"The number of calves given for city use and Chicago packing is LiL'S.IXK). The 
number of calves rejected for all causes is 4,117. IIow many duplications, if any, 
this total contains can not be shown. Practically, this whole number (rejected) is 
made up of bob calves, or inspections on bob calves. In this particular line the 
inspectioTi has been active and fairly successful; successful, at least, in diverting such 
animals from the otHcial to the local and nonofficial slaughterhotises." 

That large dealers in live stock are in favor of some restriction on interstate com- 
merce in tlie young calves is clear from a stateni'nt made to the department in a 
letter fnma Arnicnu' ct Co. under date of April l:i. 191 1 . in which the statement is made 
that "there is really nothing in the live-.--lock busincrs to-day that is so bad for the 
country as to see immature calves going to slaughter " As showing that all traus])or- 
tation companies are not in sympathy witli the practice of shipping immature calves 
in interstate commerce, the following from a report made by a de]>artment agen! is 
(|Uoted: 

"Having been advise<l by the 1!. & A. agent at Brighton, Mass., that Mr. H. M. 
llri.'-coe, assistant general traffic manager of (he B. A A., wanted an interview with me, 
I called at his office and we talked over the matter of the shipments into Massachusetts 
of live calves from points in New York Slate. He advised me that the railroad did 
not like tliat kind of traffic, as it was not very remunerative, and in view of th':" severe 
criticism by the press they had made an effort to stop it. but were compelled to accept 
these calves under the interstate-commerce act. I advised him that, considering the 
conditions under Avhich the calves were .shipped. I thought the shipments might be 
refused. I stated my reasons for so thinking. He replied that the information was 
new to him and that he would considt with the law department. In a few days after 
this interview I was advi.sed that the New York Central & Hudson Kiver Railroad Co. 
has >enl to its agents at points in New York State telegraphic instiucticms to receive 
no more calves in crates or under tour weeks of age for shipment east of Springfield, 
Mass., on the B. & A., or for Boston. Mass.. and vicinity. Tliey are now unabl'' to 
get anything into Boston, Mass., in crates, and if they ship them loose in cars, under 
four weeks of age, they will be condemned by inspectors of the New York State Depart- 
ment of Agriculture. The reason for ship|iing in crates was to esca|)e tliis condi-m- 
nation." 

Here it should be said that the carriers in question, the departujent is informed, have 
been again transporting young calves in the manner to which exception was taken. 

The department is also in receipt of a letter from the operating department of the 
New York Central Lines, giving assurances of the road's desiiv to coojierate with the 
department in respect to preventing cruelty to calves in interstate commerce. The 
State live-stock sanitary officials are also active in their endeavor to |)revent cruelty 
in this connection, as .shown by the following quotation from a letter of the commis- 
sioner of New York State: 

"We have from time to time reported the shipmetit of immature calves into Penn- 
sylvania, and your insjiector in charge at Hallstead, Dr. S. M. Page, has evidently 
condemned some of the shijnnents so made. 

" Under date of April 1.5 Dr. Houck, in.spector in charge at New York, ailvised us as 
follows: 

" 'Our inspector at Hallstead, Pa., advises us that there were 33 head in iheship- 
nn'ut, and that out of this numlier he passed 21 for food ami condemneil !) for imma- 
t urity.' 

"We also have a letter from Dr. Page, under date of April 17, referring to shipment 
of 42 calves from George B. May, of New Berlin, N. Y., which was reported to your 
inspe<'tor by this office. This letter states that of the 42 calves, 1 was dead in car, 19 
(lassed for food, and 22 were condemned for immaturity. Under these circumstances 
I am wondering if anv further action will be lironght bv vour bureau against these 



32 INTERSTATE SHIPMENT OF IMMATUEE CALVES. 

shipper.'^ who were apparently vinlatins interstate laws by trafficking' in immature 
calves. From the information that we ha\-e it would appear that these sliippers will 
continue to forward these young animals to points outside this State unless prosecution 
is begun against them. The simple confiscation of the shipment, or a portion of it, 
does not seem to have any effect in stopping the business. 

"I wish you would advise if your bureau contemplates bringing action, and any 
assistance that this department can furnish you will be cheerfully given." 

The State of New York has enacted a statute prohibiting the shipment of calves 
under 4 weeks old unless accompanied by their mothers, or unless shipped in crate.s, 
and then only when the calves are intended to be raised and not slaughtered, 
(t'hap. 372, p. '933, Laws of New York, 129 Session, May 10, 1906.) On .May 26, 1911. 
tlie State Legislature of Connecticut also passed a law on the same subject. The State 
of Massachusetts prohibits the sale for food of the carcass of anv calf under 4 weeks 
old. 

From consideration of the whole subject it is apparent that the enactment of a 
statute prohibiting the shipment of immature calves in interstate commerce is needed 
in order to prevent the excessive cruelty which is now being practised. The depart- 
ment is unable to recommend prosecution unless the stock are eonhned in transit 
beyond 28 hours without water, feed, or rest, or unless an attempt is made to slaughter 
immature calves at any packing establishment where Federal inspection is main- 
tained. While both these statutes in respect to immature calves are being enforced 
rigidly by the department, it is clear that additional legislation is needed in order 
to prevent the cruelty which is still being practiced. 

As stated, much has been and is being done by the State live-stock sanitary boards, 
and by the State and National humane associations. If such a statute were pa.ssed 
by the Federal Government, Congress would not be very far in advance of the State 
loLrislatiues, as shown by the action of Massachusetts, Connecticut, and New York. 
Fnrtliermore, as it is apparent from correspondence in possession of the department, 
large slaughterers of the country, better informed shi])].)ers, and some of the transpcir- 
tation companies will be in favor of a measure of this character. The attached draft 
of a bill on this subject has beeu prepared in the Department of Agriculture. 

The Chairman (recognizing Mr. Beniiedict). You are the hist 
sjieaker, and I suppose you have the fioor. 

Mr. Bexnedict. I wouhl like to say that our poor luiinane societies 
are getting tapped on tlie liead to-day. I do not believe that my old 
schoohnute across the table here means all that he says, but there is 
many a true word spoken jokingly. We have politics in this country 
to contend with all the time. 

The Ch.\ir.man. Yes; I have objected to politics myself a few times. 

Mr. Bennedict. Our societies are working entirely and absolutely 
outside of any political partj' or clique or ring. We have nothing to 
do with politics. We are not aligned with any religious botly at all. 
We have just one creed, the fatherhood of God and the brotherhood 
of man, ami that is the line along which we are working. Now, our 
politicians get appointments as meat inspectors, and ui order to hold 
their positions they have got to cater to the fellows who elected them. 
Because they have not stopj)ed this practice from the humanitarian 
staiidpomt, we, as members of this society, come before you gentle- 
men and ask you to side with us and help put down this practice, 
not onh^ on account of the suffering of the poor calves, but on account 
of the disease and sickness and death that is being caused by this 
unwholesome food being placed upon the market. I thank you. 

The Chairman (recognizing Mr. Murray). Give the stenographer 
your name and address, etc. 

STATEMENT OF MK. R. H. MURRAY, FIELD SECRETARY OF THE 
AMERICAN HUMANE ASSOCIATION. 

Mr. Murray. Mr. Chairman and gentlemen, Dr. Stillman, the presi- 
dent of the American Humane Association, fuUy intended to appear 
here ami show liis symjjathy ami express liis strong indorsation of 



INTERSTATE SHIPMENT OF IMMATURE CALVES. 33 

this enactment. Tlie burden of the ajjitation seems to come, in the 
first instance, from Di'. liowley, hut ilassachusetts is not the only 
offender. The |)eo])le of that State liave been (lirectin<^ their efforts 
aloni; this hne of ])revention. The Massachusetts Society is the i)rime 
mover in this work in the United States, and if hke societies in otlier 
States were to take on this same phase of the effort we would find, I 
think, just as many violations there as in tlie New England States. 
I am directed to state the comjilaints liave come from every State 
wliere (hiiry farmers pursue their calling. 

Therefore, in tlie first case, Mr. Chairman, I wish to state that the 
American Association in itself, and tluough its oilicers at All)any, 
wish to express their cordial cooperation with and indorsation of 
this movement, which, if it fakes the foim of law, will mean an 
immense benefit to the suffering animals and the consumers who are 
aff'ectet! by the sale of such meat in our markets. 

In the first place. Mr. Chairman, I only lately have occupied the 
office of field secretary, and when I was recpiested by Dr. Stillman to 
attend this meeting and set l)efore you the attitude of the association, 
I felt that I could not come without seeing the wounds that were 
inflicted l)y reason of tliis lack of law, and that I sliould fherefoi'e 
nnik{> a personal investigation of this cruel ])ractice in order that I 
should not ai)])ear siniiily as an advocate of the bill without having 
actual experience. My attention was jiarticulaily directed to the 
conditions ])rcvailing at th(> West Albany station. 1 do not want to 
l)e invidious in legard to New York State oi- any other State, and I 
use my exjieiience sim))ly because my attention was directed there. 
I assume that all the ])hases of cruelty which have been brought out 
to-day will be found in many other States, so tliat when I refer (o 
this ))articular case at Albany I ha^'e the general situation in mind. 

Now, in regai'd to .All)any, on March L'4, and I may be permitted 
to say that then my feelings were the same as those of an^yone who 
has nut seen the abuses, and the matter didn't a])peal to me so strongly 
as it does now. I therefore went to the Albany station to make this 
investigation. 

Inside one of the pens I found 4 or 5 llolstein calves piled upon each 
other, and all dead. Their bodies were shrunk, and it seemed to me, 
from a layman's standpoint, that they had been starved to death. In 
the same \)en were 27 cows, and wandering around among those cows 
were 7 small calves of the same breed. I stood there watching for a 
while, and I saw these little calves making application to these cows 
for milk, but ap])arently the situation was that which Di'. Kowley has 
so well illustrated, that the cows which were sent there were not the 
cows to which the calves belonged. I watched them for a while, sir, 
and I saw one of these bob veals standing u]), with his limbs just 
trem])ling, and he finally dropped over. He dropped right down in 
the middle of the muck and mire of that ])en. I felt myself that 
ajiart from the health view of this thing, it appealed to me that no 
man on God's earth, no matter how careless he might be, if he was 
humane at all, but would feel Ids sentiments at once brought out by 
that touching sight of the ])oor little calf tottering and falling over 
tlead in the pen. 

Now, looking over into another pen, sir. I found two more dead calves 
that had lieen thrown there. In another ])en we found "bolognas," 
-SI 920— 12 3 



34 INTERSTATE SHIPMENT OF IMMATURE CALVES. 

SO called, and "canners," of such a character that they should not be 
sent to market. However, that is another matter. 

The Chairman. Were there no local authorities that could exercise 
supervision over those pens ? 

Mr. ^Murray. That was my first visit to the pen, Mr. Chairman, and 
I took immediate steps to see that the thin<; woidd i)e remedied. That 
is beinj;- done. 

I stood there for about two hours and I visited the man who had 
the place in charge, James Horan, who is the gentleman referred to b}- 
the speaker who preceded me, Mr. Bennedict. T said to him: "Mr. 
Horan, have those calves l)een trampled upon, or how did they get in 
that condition?" He said: "They are just like small children. They 
will die off." I said: "For lack of nourishment ?" He said: "Well, 
we have got to take our chances." So I left it that way until we 
received word from Mr. Bennedict that the calves were being shipped 
from ITtica. I was then asked by the presitient of the association to 
investigate the case with Mi'. Bennedict. I think that the calves 
started from Utica about 11.45 the jireceding day. 

Mr. Bennedict. Not from Utica, from New Berlin. 

Mr. Murray. New Berlin, and in the ordinary course of time we 
expected that those calves might arrive that night. I stayed up until 
12 o'clock waiting for word from Mr. Bennedict, but not having word, 
I went to bed, and the next morning turned out at 6 o'clock, and I 
went out to the station feeling sure that they would have arrived then, 
because it was a comjiaratively short haul. 

Mr. Bennedict turned uj), too, and we stayed together that day, 
until we received word that the calves were at a place called the 
"hump," outside of the Albany station. It was 6 o'clock before those 
httle things were brought up to the chute. 

Now, to digress for a moment, I might say that there were other 
carloads thali came in. There were carloads of cows with calves. 
The cows were sent out with the calves into a wide i)en with wide-open 
places in it, and not at all satisfactory'. I told the man in charge 
that he would have to take them out of there or we would prosecute 
liiin. They did that, and remedied things, but that hatl been going 
on for a long time. One calf was picked out of a car by the attendants 
and carried out on two poles, and I assumed that the little thing was 
dead, but I went into the closed pen where it was placed and looked 
at it ver}'- carefully and saw that it opened its eyes and began to stir 
and cry. It was all covered ^\dth muck and filth, and that is what I 
presume it had been l.^nng in. Around that pen were slathered — and, 
by the way, this is another phase of the education of cluldren — around 
that pen were gathered children who were milking the cows. That 
little calf, wliile they were (ilaying there, began to show signs of life 
and began to cry, and if it had been taken care of at all previously I 
presume it would have had a chance to live. But there it was, al)so- 
lutely ])eyond reclaim. I spoke to the man in charge, and said: 
"vSurely you are going to do something for tlie little calf." .Vt bis 
direction we got a man with a hammer to dispose of the little thing. 
Persons who are not engaged in this trade know very little about it. 
I consider myself to a certain degree a farmer, as I was l)rought uji 
on a farm, and know what these things mean. The sight was revolt- 
ing to me as well as most touching. 



INTEESTATE SHIPMENT OF IMMATURE CALVES. 35 

Well, I lot that pass Ijy: but while we were there this other car 
that I speak of first arrived at the ciiute. Previous to this we liad 
a very cold reception — far from a cordial one from Mr. Horan, who 
had charge of this feeding pen. He seemed to follow us around dur- 
ing the day. He gave us no room, and we had to go without dinner 
h)' reason of the fact that we couldn't get anything to eat at his 
hotel. He seemed to resent our investigation. But it was coming 
on to feeding time and Mr. Horan seemed to have some dilliculty in 
knowing jiow to meet the circumstances, as it afterwards turned out. 
We saw the men arrive tliere with two new buckets and three or four 
fumiels, 1)right and now, with this so-called milk in them. They 
brought these into the pen, and you ma\-, fixnn your own experience, 
know what it is to feed a calf. I have had to feed them myself. It 
is quite a difficult task to put in the hands of an impatient man who 
has got to get through with his work in a very limited perioil. 

When we came up to the cars, just before they unloaded the calves 
for feeding, these little week-old calves came to the boards and began 
their ])itcous cries. It mav be that they missed their mother, I>ufc 
it must be assumed, and no other conclusion can be arrived at. from 
the fact that they were shipped at 11.4.5 and didn't get anything to 
eat until 6 o'clock that night, that they were hungry. They grabbed 
at our boots, and at our hands, and anything at all, with tlie idea 
that they would get some nourishment out of them. It was pitiable, 
sir, to see those little things call out. Some of them were so weak 
that the)^ just lifted up their heads to a certain extent, indicating, as 
it were, a coniiielling forc(> or wish which would enable them to get 
to this place where the\- might get some food. 

Now, those calves were unloaded there, and four or Jive men, who 
hang aroinid such places and will take such em]doyment, were trying 
to feed them. I think that most of that stull" went on the floor, exce])t 
some tiiat I gathered into a bottle for the ])urpose of analysis. In 
addition to the buckets the attendants had funnels, as they could not 
feed them out of the bucket. The feeding them was a farcical com- 
pliance with the 2S-hour law, or the .36-hour limit. The calves, in that 
res]>ect, might as well be exempt from the provisions of the statutes 
which a]>]dy to all animals under the 2.S-hour law, because I think it 
can be conclusively shown that such calves can not be fed ]U'0]H'rly at 
any of these stations. We waited at the Albany station until the 
calves were sent on, and many of them were weak and imfit for further 
shipment. 

Now, to show to you the anomaly which exists in relation to the 
Federal and State laws, and in response to the inc[uiiy of the gentleman 
of the committee who asked for the New York statute in regard to 
transportation, I desire to say: The State transportation law comes 
within the agricultural law of New York. It is th(^ statute, found in 
chapter 1 of the consolidated laws, section 106: 

Sec. jog. Shipping, slaughtering and selling veal for fciod. No per.soii shall 
plaughler or expose for sale or «oIl any calf or carcas.-; of the suiie or any jiarl thereof, 
unless it is in go<id healthy rondition. No person shall sell or e.xpose for .siile any such 
calf or carcass of the same or any part thereof, e.xtept hide, unless it was, if killed, at 
least four weeks cjf age at the time of killing. No person (jr persons shall bring or 
cause to lie brought into any city, town, or village any calf or carcass of the sanii; or 
any ixirt thereof for the purpose of selling, offering or exposing same for sale, unless 
it is in a good healthy condition; that no person or persons shall bring any such calf 
or carcassof the same orany part thereof, except the hide, into any city, t(jwn, or village 



36 IXTEESTATE SHIPMENT OF IMMATURE CALVES. 

for the purpose of selling, offering or exposing the same for sale, unless the calf is four 
weeks of age, or, if killed, was four weeks of age at the time of killing: Pronded, how- 
ever, That the iirovi,sions of this section shall not apply to any calf or carcass of the 
same or any part thereof which is slaughtered, sold, offered or exposed for sale, for 
any other purpiL^e than for food. Any person or persons exposing for .sale, selling, or 
shipping any calf or carcass of the same will be presumed to be so exposing, selling, or 
shipping the said calf or carcass of the s;ime for food. Any person or persons shipping 
any calf for the purpose of being rai.«ed, if the .said calf is under four weeks of age, shall 
ship it in a crate, uide.ss .said calf is accompanied by its dam. Any per.son shipping 
calves under four weeks of age for fertilizer ]iur|)oses must slaughter the said calves 
before so shipping. Any person or persons duly authorized by the commissioner of 
agriculture may examine any calf or veal offered or exposed for sale or kept with 
any stock of^goods apparently exposed for sale, and if such calf is under four weeks 
of age, or the veal is from a calf killed under four weeks of age or from a calf in an 
mdiealthy condition when killed, he may seize (he same and cause it to be destroyed 
and dispo.sed of in such manner as to make it impos.sible to be thereafter used for 
food. 

Mr, Driscoll. How much ])unishment is pi-ovided for a violation 
of that statute^ 

Mr. Murray. I don't tiiink — they haven't said anything al)out that. 
This is only a codification of the humane laws. The penalty has not 
been placed in there. I couldn't say authoritatively. 

Now, in relation to the old matter of transportation, as you know 
the agitation in the matter of the transportation of cattle began away 
back in IS?."?, when tliis interstate 2S-hour law went into effect. Then 
in 19f)6 the agitation came on, when the shipper got the benefit of the 
36-hour law. The great troid)le in the transportation has been the 
slowness of the trains. Tliere has been a tendency on the part of the 
railroad companies to sidetrack the live freight and give preference to 
the dead freight, which is more valuable from a freight-paying liasis. 
You see the effect of this practice from the evidence which has been 
adduced here to-day by Mr. Bennedict and which was mentioned by 
Dr. Rowley — a condition of a.Tairs which is absolutely true in all the 
States where dairying is carried on and from which cattle are shi])])ed. 
This case at Albany, the shipment from Utica, which is an example of 
the breaking of the law, is not an exception. It may be shown by this 
report by ^Ir, McCabe. lie says: 

One of the most persistent \iolators of the law is made a defendant in 122 cases. It 
maintained an average running time of 1.9 miles per hour for a haul of 198.5 miles to 
15.(1 miles piT hour tor a haul of fil3.2 miles. The other roads maintained an average 
of (1.4 miles ])er hour in 14 cases, 1 1 miles per hour in 15 cases, 9.7 miles per hour in 1G7 
ca.ses. The average running time of stfpck tniins in tlie Sdd cases examined was 9.4 
miles per hour. 

We have got to bear in mind this fact, that these little calves are 
in the first place gathered u]) by men who are going to sell them to 
the butchers, and I thiidc in the case mentioned by Mr. Bennedict 
they ])ought them by the calf and not by weight. They l)uy the 
calves from the farmers, who barely give them enough nourishment 
to put them in a presentable condition. They are slung into a wagon, 
and used in a veiy brutal manner when being transported. Those 
calves, if possible, stand on their weak legs from the time the shipper 
buys them until the titnc they get to the market. The total time 
consimied is frequently 60 hours. Even if they did comply with the 
28-hour law or the o6-liour law, there is, nevertheless, an innnense 
amount of cruelty, not onty by reason of the delay in unloading these 
SO head of calves and feeding them, but by reason of the fact that tJiese 
men who have charge of the calves will not and can nut feed or ti'eat 



INTERSTATE SHIPMENT OF IMMATURE CALVES. 37 

tliein ])r(ipcily. I will make the statement that I am sure there must 
also he graft at the feeding station, in regard to these calves. I would 
like to see the hills that are sent the shipj)ers for the feed. 

Mr. Hamilton. How wouhl it he ijossihlc to feed an unweancd 
calf? 

.Mr. MuRK.VY. That is the very thing I am trying to hring out, the 
very inipossihility ; and secondly, if there is any possihility of feeding 
them when they are under 6 weeks old or so, tlien that ought not to 
he done. 

Mr. Drlscoll. Wouldn't a calf (j weeks old or so, who was heing 
starved, suffer as much as a calf 6 days okl, or younger than that * 
The calf 6 weeks old would naturally he higher developed, and suffer 
more from the pangs of hunger than the other one, wouldn't it '. 

Mr. Ha.milton. Let me make a suggestion A calf 6 weeks old 
has learned to take other nourishment than milk from t!u' motlicr. 

Mr. Driscoll. I don't think a calf 6 weeks does tluit 

Mr. Hamilton (inter])osing). It would he ahle to di'ink, at least. 
In some cases the calves are taken away from t heir mot liers and taught 
to drink in a few days 

Mr. Murray. There is anotlu'r clement, that t!ic young(>r ralf will 
have no vitality or strength for its journey. 

Mr. Driscoll. Yes, if it is 60 hoiu's on the trij). If it is an older 
calf it will live longer and suffer more than if it is a younger calf. 

Mr. Murray. Yes, the only thing ahout this as jiointed out hy my 
honoralde friend, Mr. Hamilton, is that we have a cluuue to have the- 
calf fed if there is a compliance with that twenty-eight hour law, hut 
these young ones can not he fed. Therefore, the suffering is ])erha])s 
more ajiparent, ^Ir Driscoll: hut nevertheless they do sufl'er, and that 
evidence is hefore you 

Mr. Driscoll. 'they do suffei-^ 

Mr. Murray. Yes. ' 

Mi-. Driscoll. My point was that if a (i-weeks-old calf was heing 
starved it woukl suffer as much at least as the younger one. 

Mr. iluRRAY. The only thing is that the evidence of suffering is 
not hefore us, and they generally stand the journey and are likely fed. 

I have to appeal to you, g(>ntl(>mcn, on the hasis of the evidence 
which has been adduced, from which you can see that it necessarily 
follows that the calf that is carried on tliat journey when I believe 
it is in the most sensitive state, when it must be suffering the pangs 
of being separated from its mother, when weakness develops, and when 
it is com])elled to stand on its feet, and when lying down it is trampled 
upon by the other calves — when it reaches tlie market it is not only 
in a feeble state, but its meat must be p')isonous. I would submit 
that, as men of common sense, you can not helj) but come to the 
conclusion that the meat must be unhealthy: and even assuming that 
some of them arrive in a healthy state, what about the weaker calves 
that are taken to the slaughter houses in a ch'ing condition? 

The Chair.max. Don't you think that the best thing we can do for 
the calf is to pass an act prohibiting the .shipment in interstate com- 
merce for beef purjioses of any calf under '_' years old on foot or 
dressed '. 

Mr. Murray. Yes, sir: I agree with you theie. 

The Chairman. I will vote for that. 



38 INTERSTATE SHIPMENT OF IMMATURE CALVES. 

Ml'. Murray. Yes; I agree with you there. That is a suggestion 
of an amendment for Mr. Rowley. 

Mr. Rowley. That is too good to be true. 

Mr. Murray. The difhcuUy, as you maj' realize in regard to the 
enforcement of laws passed hy different States is, of course, that they 
will be diverse in the first place, and then there will not be the same 
far-reaching effect back of them. As Dr. Rowley has stated, Massa- 
chusetts is in the fore front of humane work, and that is the reason 
that these cases have come to light. We need an interstate law badly. 
The complaints to the association come from many States. Assuming 
that you bring up these men for cruelty, in ship])ing these calves, 
before the local courts. From my short experience with the courts 
it would be very diilicult to secure a conviction on the ground of 
cruelty at the point of shijiment, and it is very diliicult to follow the 
calves up to their ultimate destination and thus prove cruelty. Let 
the arm of the law fall upon the person who is guilty, but let it be 
under the provisions of this bill which is now before the committee. 

Mr. Chairman, this is a perfectly sane solution of the difficulty, 
namely, the prevention of shipj)ing at that age, except in cases where 
they are accomj)anied by their mothers. In regard to the cruelty 
si<le of the matter, I may say that as a man having had a long con- 
nection witli lunnane work, I am more inteiested in it from that 
standpoint than in the hygienic side of it, and I can not elaborate too 
strongly on the matter of tlu^ cruelty. If it were possible to bring 
you to see the evidence of this practice, 1 do not think one gentleman 
on the committee wouhl have any difficulty in arriving at the ])roper 
conclusion. I would .submit that the cruelty inflicted is such that 
it is debasing to the men who handle the calves and to the children 
at the stockyards who hang around and see the calves treated in 
this brutal mannei'. It is debasing throughout. I desii-e to submit 
that it is an act whi(di is alisolutely cruel in itself, even if y()U only 
took into consideration the suffering which nuist be embued by 
one calf. I inilorse witii all my miglit th(> position taken by Dr. 
Rowley, who is the chief spokesnum to-day, and who has had this 
matter so very much at heart. We all come here witliout l)eing 
briefed, and witliout retaining attorneys. We have given u|) our 
lives to this calling, and we feel that in presenting this matter we are 
doing so with entire honesty and sincerity. 

Tiiere is just one matter tliat I would hke to mention further. I 
understood tliat a liearing was to be given to another body of men 
wliicli is going to jjiesent its side of the case to the committee, being 
rejtresentative of some agricultural society in New York. .\ow, I 
would feel that owing to tlie fact that Dr. Rowley and I will both be 
liere during the week, that by the graciousress of the chairman of the 
committee this other body of men migiit lie summoned this week, so 
that if it should jiresent any new matter Dr. Rowley and myself would 
have an opportunity to reply. 

The Chairman. If they try to hurt you, some of us will take care 
of that. I am very much obliged to you for sustaining my doctrines 
of a lifetime not to eat liver or veal, and I am glad you came here. 

Mr. Driscoll. What was tliis case you refer to as the Albany case ? 

]\Ir. Murray. 1 refer to tlie same case tluit Mr. Benedict referred to. 

^Ir. Rowley. They were all destroyed, owing to tlie fact that they 
were under Federal inspection. 



INTERSTATE SHIPMENT OF IMMATURE CALVES. 39 

There has been a little niisumlerstandiiig. When 1 heard from Mr. 
Ilanultoji I understootl that Mr. ^lelvin, tlie representative of the 
Dei)artnient of Agriculture, was to present the universality of this 
thing, because the figures that he considered have even a greater 
extent 

The Chaikjiax (interposing). He is going to put tlieui into the 
record . 

Mr. Rowley. I iuive corresponded with every State in the Union 
in regard to this matter, so that I came here, and Mr. Benedict and 
Mr. Mvu'ray came here, simply to give a concrete illustration applying 
to our own locality. Tinit is why we haven't dwelt upon the univer- 
salitv, and I have felt that some members })er!)aps think that this is 
purely a local matter, and ought to be left to the local authorities to 
handle. 

The Chairman. If you was to sliow that this condition existed in 
eveiy State, you would not destroy tiie ])rin,ciple that each State ought 
to sweep its own yard. The next time you preach in ^lassacliusetts 
I want you to tell them tinit inasmuch as Massachusetts has taken the 
lead, has taken such a prominent position in the world in helping to 
regulate difl'erent things in the country', that we will be highly grati- 
fied to learn that she has j)ut some of these malefactors in jail. 

Mr. Rowley. We have prosecuted a great many of them, and con- 
victed them. 

Whereupon the comnuttee adjourned, subject to the call of the 
chairman. 



Committee ox Interstate and Foreign Commerce, 

HoisE of Representatives, 

April 16. 1912—10.30 a. m. 

The committee this day met, Hon. William Richardson (chairman 
j>ro tempore) ])resi(iing. 

The Chairman. The committee will come to ordei'. Gentlemen, 
the first witness to be heard will be Mr. Boshart, of Lowervillc, N. Y. 

STATEMENT OF C. FRED BOSHART, LOWERVILLE, N. Y. 

Mr. Bosii.\RT. Mr. Chairman and gcmtlemen, we have come here 
from Xew York State, not to ])rotect any interests that may be 
engaged in the sale and trans])ortation of immature veal calves. We 
come here because the age limit on the transportation of matiu'e veal 
calves as fixed by II. R. 17222 is unjust to our dairy farnieis and the 
farmers of every State that borders on New York. 

The bill reads that any calf, uidess the same is 6 weeks old or over, 
can not be ship])ed or trans])orte(l from one State to another imless 
at all times accom))anied by their mothers. That means that no veal 
calves can l)e brought into Xew York State from an ailjoining State or 
Western State under 6 weeks of age. Also, no veal calves can be 
ship])ed from New York State to another State under this age limit, 
although there may be slaughtered and jilaced u])on the market 
within the State veal calves of a younger age. 

Gentlemen, you will readily see that this is not one of those 
measures directed toward safeguarding the health of the consuming 
public, but one of those statutes whicli is confiniially driving uj) the 



40 INTERSTATE SHIPMENT OF IMMATURE CALVES. 

cost of living. There is no line of business but what it is being 
attacked, and as a result the cost of living is soaring beyond the 
income of our common people. Tt is an indisputaV)le fact that veal 
calves are a perfectly healthfid and wholesome food at a much 
younger period than 6 weeks of age. Among the early customs of 
the people of Euroj)e we find an old adage that a calf must be 9 
days old for food. This old custom has run down through thousands 
of years ami furnished a succulent food for a needy class. 

After the calf is 9 days old — after the ninth milking — the cow's milk 
can be used, and I do not see why the flesh of a calf isn't good a 
reasonable time after that. 

The Chairman. Do you lielieve that the calves ought to be shipped 
without any regard to limitation as to age '. 

Mr. BosiiART. I do not, Mr. Chairman. 1 will coNcr that before 
I finish. 

The Govenunent inspection law provides that when calves are 
being killed under Government inspection, the calf must be 3 weeks 
of age. The agricultural law of New York State prohibits the sale 
of any calf for food under 4 weeks of age. This limit of age in the 
statutes of New ^drk was ])laced there at 4 weeks to make sure to 
catch the calf not 3 w(>eks old. The law of A'ei'mont on veal calves 
is 4 weeks. That of Massachusetts says a veal calf must weigh 40 
[)ouiuls or be 4 weeks of age. To my knowle(lg(> theie is no State 
law that places tlie age of a veal calf at more than 4 weeks. The 
age of a veal calf u]) to .') weeks can be determined (piite accurately, 
and a relial)le inspector will make but few errors. After a well-fed 
veal calf has reached 8 weeks of age it is difficult to say with any 
degree of certainty whether that calf is 4 or 5 weeks of age. It is not 
the size of the calf that is the indicator of its age up to 3 weeks; it is 
the condition of the I'enal fats and the development of its naval. 
The veal from a well-fed whole-milk calf at 4 weeks of age is more jkiI- 
atable and far superior to the calf 6 weeks of age and older. The 
size of the calf has little to do with its maturity. It is constitution and 
vigor that makes a prime veal. The animal with great assimilating 
power and strong digestive functions, even if small in size, is i)refer- 
able. The medium-size calf that is a good feeder well kept makes 
excellent veal, even if light in weight, at 3 weeks. 

Calves will vary in size according to the breetl of cattle from which 
they come. A calf from the Channel Island breeds at birth weighs 
40 to 55 pounds: an Ayrshire calf 50 to 65 pounds, and a calf from 
tlu^ Ifolsteins and other large bree<ls 60 to 75 ])ounds. The well-fed 
new-milk calves at 4 weeks of age average from 125 to 135 j)ounds 
live on the New York market, and last Monday brought 0} cents jjer 
pound. A good veal will dress away in killing about one-third, a 
poor calf about 40 per cent. It will I'cadily be seen that when these 
4-weeks old calves are dressed the whoh'sale price of the carcass will 
b(^ about 15 cents per pound. When this veal is retailed from the 
block the price per pound will be according to the cut and is not 
within the reach of poor people. Each week as the calf grows and is 
becoming larger he is consuming more milk. A well-fed calf at 4 
weeks will re([uire about 30 ])ounds of milk per day; that is, about 
7 quarts at each feeding. 

At 5 weeks it should have 40 pounds per day. The calf would 
consume ap|)ro\iniately 35 pounds per day l)etw<'en the age of 4 and 6 



INTERSTATK SHIP.MKXT OF IMMATURE CALVES. 41 

wct'ks. To j^row the veal after the age of 4 weeks to 6 weeks is where 
the cost comes in. The calf coiisuiiiiiii; on tlie average for these 2 
weeks .35 ])oimu1s of milk each day, for the 14 days it would consume 
490 pounds. 

This (|uantity of milk is worth to the ihiiry farmer of the State, at 
j)resent ])rices, either for shipment to New '\'ork as li(niid milk or for 
manufacturing ])urposes; that is, for huttei' or cheese, S6.9J. For 
this jieriod between 4 and 6 weeks of age the calf would make an 
increased weight of about '2h pounds jter day, showing an actual cost 
of nniking veal of about 'JO cents per ])ound. When we add to this 
tirst cost the profit of the buyer, the trans])oitation charges, the com- 
mission man's jier cent for selling, with yet one or two other com- 
missions, this veal grown lietweeii the age of 4 and (i weeks would 
have to sell from the block for a pi'ice that would be almost pro- 
hibited, except to the very rich, if the producer, which is the dairy- 
man, was to receive reasonable com|)ensation for his p)(}ducts. In 
the East the veal calf is grown very di"'erc'nt than in the"\^'est. The 
western veals are usually grown to a heavier weight on the by-products 
of the dairy, reinforced witii grain feeds or fats, th( ir gain in weight 
per day is oidy about one-half that of the whole milk feed calf. The 
eastern calf is fed on fresh-drawn milk and forced to m,-iturity as 
rapidly as jiossible. It is these forced, well-fed, good-cared-loi', eai'Iy- 
maturing veals that bring the ton iKitch on the markets at 4 weck^ (if 

A\ hen the eastern prinu' veals are selling for S and !) cents per 
jxiund live weight, the heavy western veals weighing 'iOd and L'50 
pounds sell for 5 and 6 cents per |)ound the same day on the same 
market. If you look at the veal nuirkets of the worhi, you will Hnd 
that the .\ew York ])rices are 2 to .3 cents per poimd higher than the 
Chicago prices: the prices on the Berlin nuirkets are nearly 100 ])er 
cent above those at ('hicago. The calves sold on the Berlin markets 
are whole milk fed and are undoubtedly clioiee; but when this veal 
reaches the consumer it is very expensive and no labor num's food. 
The veal calves of New York State are sold principally on the Sixtieth 
Street M<arket, New York, and the Jersey City stockyard market. At 
the Si.xtieth Street Market there was sold during the year 1911 about 
175,000 calves, the largest |)art of which come from the farms of New 
York; about 9,000 from V(M-mont. 5,000 from Pennsylvania, and 0,000 
from points west of Buffalo. Thes(> figures are the calves thit are 
sold (m the stock nnirket by commission men and dy not include the 
many calves consigned direct to butchers and unloaded at the yards. 

The reeei])ts of calves at the J(>rsey stockyartis are about on.e-half 
of those at Si.xtieth Street, most of which come from Stat(>s other than 
NeW' Jersey. A great many calves are drawn across the New York 
State line from Pennsylvania, western Massachusetts, and Connecti- 
cut, loaded at various stations to be shi])ped to New York and Jersey. 
At the Sixtieth Street stockyards the facilitit>s are not ade(|uate to 
handle the large volume of business transacted, and it has been ex- 
pected for a long time they wouhl be removed to Jersey. I imder- 
stand the .New York Central people have all their plans for removing 
their tracks from Eleventh Avenue and only wait the ap|)roval of the 
city authorities. 

With the removal of these railroad tracks fr<im Ele\-enth Avenue, 
and this is only a question of a short time, with new freight terminals 



42 INTEESTATE SHIPMENT OF IMMATUHE CALVES. 

built ill Joi-soy, nearly all shipments of calves for consumption in New 
York City would come under this interstate-commerce act. 

It is the veal calves of New York State that is hard hit by this bill 
under consideration on account of the lafge numbers that are fatted 
to supplj- the New York City market. They can be killeil and sold 
within the State at 4 weeks of age, but when sliipped to Jei-sey, sold, 
killed, and just ferried back across the river they must be (i weeks old. 
Tliroughout the East there are a large number of small farmers who 
keep two, tlu'ce, or four cows from which their owners receive a liveli- 
hood. These comparatively poor people live at too great a distance 
from milk-shipping creameries and cheese factories to dispose of their 
milk these ways, and generally buy small calves and grow them to 
veal age on whole milk a greater part of the year. Mr. Chairman, 
there is no condition that warrants this enactment. 

If there is any person who has an honest intent to prevent sale, 
transportation, and offering immature veal for food, it can be tlone in 
a way so as not to strangle a legitimate trade and an incorrupt 
business. This enactment, if placed in the statutes of the United 
States, goes further than prohibiting the sale of immature veal; it 
prohibits the sale of matured veal across the borderline of two States, 
or transjiorted from one State to another. It being a fact no State 
having a law that places a longer age on a veal calf than 4 weeks, the 
Governnu'iit inspection hiw provitles that where calves are being 
killed under Government inspection the calf must be 3 weeks of age. 
These facts ckMnonstrate and should be conclusive proof that a veal 
calf is of mature age for food at 3 and 4 weeks, and any further 
extension of age a|)plied on interstate shipments or in their sale across 
the border lines of two States that does not exist in the States them- 
selves, there is no provocation for this enactment. The small calf is 
the poor man's food. For thousands of years it has been used, and 
neither you nor myself have ever seen any great calamity caused by 
such usage. The calf of a reasonable age as being poisonous and unfit 
for food is a statement that can not be borne out bv facts. This 
Government has been fair and just in its meat-inspection laws. They 
safeguard the health of its millions of consumers, and when we see 
their stamp on a loin of beef or any meat product it is a guaranty of 
purity and wholesomeness. I can not come here and say our Govern- 
ment inspectors have been wrong all these years when they placed 
their stamp of a))proval on the"3-\veeks-okl calf and it went out to be 
served on a million tables. 

1 believe tiiaf when a 3-\veeks-old calf received the stamp of the 
iiU'ut inspector and was passed for food no l)etter veal pro(hict could 
be bought on the market. The census shows New York the great- 
est dairy State in the Union. On her thousand hills graze the 
her<ls wiiich return to their owners more than $,S0,()00,()00 annually, 
for milk, butt<>r, and cheese product. Acconhng to the 1900 census 
New York in butter production ranked second, in the manufacture 
of cheese she ranked first, producing nearly one-half of the entire 
output of the United States, and the people of New York City last 
year consumed milk and cream equivalent to 213,761,9120 gallons 
of plain milk, for which the dairymen received $16,250,000. Aild 
to these values the entire crops of New York otherwise produced on 
her farms and the sum total would seem almost increihilous. Gen- 
tlemen, I fail to se(^ any justice in an interstate law that would 



intbestatp: shipment of immature calves. 43 

permit the sale of ]);ut of the t-ah es grown in New York State, to 
he consumed as food in that city, sohl at Sixtieth Street at 4 weeks 
of age, when simply across the river in Jersey the New York State 
calf must be 6 weeks old to be sold for food in New York. In behalf 
of the dairy interests of the State I ask that this bill be amended 
and the age of a veal calf be fixed at 4 weeks instead of 6 weeks, and 
every interest will be amply protected. 

The Chairman. Then you will be satisfied with the bill if it is 
amended so as to provide an age limit of 4 weeks ? 

Mr. Bo.shart. Yes, sir; I would. I think that would Ije fair and 
just to all interests. 

The Chairman. Thi.s bill provitles for a six weeks' limit ? 

Mr. BosiiART. That is where we diifer. 

Mr. HAMILTON. I will state to the committee that I shall want to 
ask to amend my bill, or ))erhaps to reintroduce it, with a ])roviso 
in it that the Secretary of Agriculture may make rules and regulations 
permitting the shi])ment of calves less than 6 weeks old, to wit, that 
the Secretary of Agriculture may also permit und(>r such regulations 
as he may deem |)roper the shi])ment in interstate commerce of live 
calves less than 6 weeks old and moi-e than 3 wn'cks old, when the 
entire time consumed in such interstate shipment from the l)eginning 
to the final destination does not exceed 10 hours. Such a proviso 
has been suggested by the Agricultural Department. 

Mr. Sims. What is meant hy "one shipment V 

Mr. Hamilton. That it is one shipment. I have a letter here ■ 

Mr. Stevens. Should the W(U'd "continuous" be included there? 

Mr. Hamilton. The Solicitor for the Agricultural Department 
suggests a proviso regarding a 10-hour shipment to lie allowed by 
the Secretary, carefully giuirded, and including the entire time in 
transit to destination. There is somewhere an explanation of that. 
The time suggested is limited to 10 hours. 

Mr. Driscoll. Now, Mr. Hamilton, can't we agree on four weeks 
and not take any more time here? I do not think that anybody 
will ask for a higher age limit really on the merits. Can't we agree 
here on four weeks, and not consume any more lime in this matter? 

Mr. Hamilton. 1 want to ask this gentleman a few rpiestions, but 
perhaps it isn't important to do that. 

Mr. Driscoll. A man who comes up as fair as he is, and wants 
to do what is fair. 

Mr. Bosh.vrt. We are here to protect an honest and legitimate 
inchistry. 

Mr. Hamilto.n. The primary purpose of this bill was to prevent, I 
will say (and I think every member of the connnittee who nas heard 
the testimony understands it), the cruel and inhuman practice which 
has grown up of taking calves less than 1 week old, as shown by 
the testimony, and often as young as a day, and shipping them to 
Boston, for illustration — that is generally the objective point. Man}' 
of them die en route, and some of them arrive at their tiestination 
with their stomachs as dry as a powderhorn. The Federal inspec- 
tion, as this gentleman has said, is recognized to be good and ade- 
quate, but the local inspection of Massachusetts is understood to 
be defective. These calves are consigned under the law of New 
York for, I have forgotten the term, for agricultural purposes, for 
farming ]iurposes to Richaid Roe or John Doe. 



44 INTERSTATE SHIPMENT OF IMMATURE CALVES. 

Mr. DiiiscoLL. For breeding purposes ? 

Mr. IIamii.tox. For breeding purposes; but. as a matter of fact, 
John Doe, or Jiichard Roe, is a butcher, and tlie calves pass inspec- 
tion, and tlie livers are sold for about 60 cents and the sweetbreads 
for something like that, and the hides for something, and the car- 
casses are then boned antl sold foi- chicken. The testimony is that the 
meat is unfit for human consumption, and it has produced ptomaine 
poison, it is said, in some instances. Tiiis abuse is not trivial, but 
iims up into the hundreds of thousanils. That is what this bill was 
introduced to reach. 

The Chairman. The bill, as I understood it, reading it casually, 
ilitln't have just a single purpose, but was aimed also at the humani- 
tarian side of it '. 

Mr. Hamilton. Yes; the humanitarian side. 

The Chairman. As I understand it, the calves are shi])ped some- 
times before they can hardly <lrink water? 

Mr. Hamilton. The testimony is that most of them are shipped 
before they are taught to drink. I want to ask this gentleman, 
because he is an ex])ert. not in any way to embarrass, but simply to 
throw light on this matter, what is your occupation '. 

Mr. BosHAKT. A farmer. 

Mr. Hamilton. Where do you live ^ 

Mr. Bo.siiAur. Lowervillc, X. 'i'. 

Mr. Hamilton. Are you engaged in tiie tlairying business? 

Mr. BosiiART. I am. 

Ml'. Hamilton. What is the custom in yom- country about teach- 
ing calves to drink, to take food other than the milk from the mother? 

Air. BosHAKT. In a few days, and sometimes right after they are 
born, we begin to feed thenr 

Mr. Hamilton. What is the custom, generally? 

Mr. BosiiAHT. I think it is. 

Mr. H.vMiLToN. That is the custom? 

Mr. BosHART. It is the general custonr 

Mr. Hamilton. What is the custom about selling calves for sliij)- 
ment, as to age? 

Mr. BosHART. Four weeks of age 

Mr. Hamilton. Do you know that the dairymen sell them fre- 
quentlv at a yoimger age than that ? 

Mr. BosHAKT. I am not here to argue an\tliing about the imma- 
ture, this so-calle<l immature bob veal. 

Mr. H.\.MiLTo>:. ^'ou do not defend that '. 

Mr. BosHAUT, I won't defend that in any way. I am here to 
defend an honest industry that nut only exists in New York State. 
but in every vState surrounding it. 

The Chairman. You are here for the purpose of giving any infor- 
mation that any member of the committee may ask for that you are 
able to give. 

Mr. BosHAitT. I am. I will answer that in lull. For four yivirs I 
was chairman of the committee of agiiculture of the Xew Yoik State 
Assembly. I have heard this veal question thrashed out on all sides. 
These same gentlemen came to me with this |)ro])osition to prevent 
the shipment of calves trom Xew York State into Massachusetts. 

Mr. Hamilton You mean by these gentlemen. Dr. Stillman 

Mr. BosHART. I do not know who these gentlemen were, but gen- 
tlemen did come to me on this ])ro]>osition. I said to them that we 



INTERSTATE SHIPMEXT t)F IMMATURE CALVES. 45 

liad a law in the State of New York fixing tlie age of veal calves at four 
weeks, and it is costing our State a large amount of money to safe- 
guard that veal ])roduct to the consumer. New York .State is spend- 
ing annually from one million dollars to a million and a half for agri- 
cultural ])ur])oses, and I ditin't tliink that we were warranted in 
involving the jiolice power of tlie State in seizing a ])roduct that went 
into the State of Massachusetts. I thougiit that was uj) to her State 
legislature, ami her officers to ])rotect, the same as we do in the State 
of New York I know this traffic has gone on, and 1 am not here to 
defend it I am against it 

Mr. Hamiltdx. I am glad tn hear you say that. 

Mr. BosnAKT. They are virtually helpless in the State of Massa- 
chusetts to stop the trans])ortation of these innnatui'c calv<'s. f will 
tell you just what it is. 

Mr. Driscoll. Why is that '. 

Mr. BosHART. I do not know much ahout those conditions, hut the 
l)ill is all right if it will stop it. It should stop it, and if you ))eo])le 
here in Washington deem it proper that that system should he 
sto])ped. you will stoj) it, and you will stop every hit of it with the 
four weeks' limitation law on the statute books 

Mr. Hamilton. Now, if you take the calf away from its mother, 
and it has not yet learned to take food other than the milk from its 
mother, it is obvious that there must be great cruelty in shipping it. 

Mr. B()SiL\RT. I do know of instances where shi})pers claimed that 
they ]nit cans of milk in the cars, and got warm water from the 
engine with which to warm that milk so as to have it of a jiroper tein- 
))erature to feed to the calves. I am told that they did it. I do not 
l^now whether it is tlone or not. 

]\Ir. Hamilton'. That would hi' a pretty- cruel thing. An engine-fed 
calf. 

Mr. BosHART. They have milk in the car, and they take warm water 
from the engine and ])Ut it into the cans to bring the milk u]i to the 
temperatui'e that the calf will take it. 

Wx. Hamilton. The fact is this, as has been tcstiticd here, that they 
take condensed milk 

Mr. BosiiART. Condensetl milk — no. 

Mr. Hamilton. Yes; and water it, and then the testimony is that 
where they have been watched, they appear on the scene with a fun- 
nel, and ])oke it into the calves' mouths, and try to make the ])oor 
little things take food in that way. 

Mr. Ik)sn,\RT. That is immature veal, tli;it 1 am not discussing 
here at all, because I will not stand for it. 

Mr. Hamilton. I guess we are pretty near together. 

Mr. Drlscoll. Make it four weeks, and let us close the matter up. 

Mr. Steven.s. Maybe Brother Smith has got something to .say 
about that. 

Mr. Escii. In view of the fact that there are so many witnesses 
that have come such long distances, I think we ought to extend them 
the courtesy of a hearing. It may give us some suggestions. 

STATEMENT OF -W. H. VARY. 

Mr. Vary. Mr. Chairman uiul gentlemen of the committee, Mr, 
Boshart has covered the ground pretty well. 1 do not believe that I 
ought to take very much of your time, but, of course, 1 represent a 



46 INTERSTATE SHIPMENT OF IMMATURE CALVES. 

large interest, being master of the New York State Grange, with 
100, ()()() members, composed of jieople who are engaged in agriculture. 
I ara also empowered to speak for the commissioner of agriculture of 
the State of ^ew York, and I have a telegram here which any of you 
can read, that reached me before I came here, signed by the commis- 
sioner, saying that he could not be here, and I think it would be well 
for you to have that. 

Rir. Stevens. Put it into the record. Read it yourself. 

Mr. Vary. Very well. 

The Chairman. Who is that telegram from? 

Mr. V.ary. From Calvin J. Plusson, commissioner of agriculture of 
the State of Xew "^'ork. 

AL7i.\NY, X. Y., April 1.5, 1912. 
\\ . H. Vary, Washington, I). V.: 

Unable on account of other engagement to be present at the hearing to-morrow on 
Hou.se bill 17222, in relation to veal calves. We are opposed to the bill unless age 
limit is reduced to four weeks, as unitormit.y in this limit is desirable. Four weeks I 
believe to be a i>roper limit. 

Cai.vin J. Hu.«SON. 

The Chairman. He says that uniformity is one of the objects to be 
desired. Is that it? Would a provision of four weeks make for 
more uniformity than a provision for six weeks? 

Mr. Vary. To conform with the laws of our State, and also the 
State of A'ermont. and some others. That is the way 1 understand it. 

Now, so far as I know, nones of the men who are hero with me stand 
lor shi])i)ing iminaturo veal. We are against it, but we do believe 
that veals are mature and fit for food, and that they are at the .same 
time better veals at 4 weeks of age than thej^ are at 6. If you 
keep tiieni longer than that they are expensive. That is, they take 
as much milk, or practically as much, for the last two weeks as they 
will for the otiier foin-, so tliat there must be a loss without any advan- 
tage in the quality of meat, in my judgment and from my observation. 

Mr. Sims. How old does a calf have to be before it can live upon 
other foods except milk from tlie motiier? 

Mr. Vary. Well, they will l)egin to (sat hay at 2 or .i weeks of age 
and eat some grain, but that is ]>retty young, and all calves would not 
do that. 

Mr. Sims. 1 am asking you how old on the average a calf must be 
in order to live without using milk in some way witli other foods? 

Mr. Vary. TJiey do raise them without milk at all after the fh'st 
few days. 

Mr. Sims. You still have not answered my question. I mean under 
reasonable, ordinary, and natural conditions ? 

Mr. Vary. Thev don't eat much Jtav until after they are 3 weeks 
old. 

Mr. Sims. How old would they have to be before^ they coidd live 
without milk consumption of any kind i 

Mr. Vary. After 3 weeks old, but I do not think they would do very 
well. 

Mr. Sims. They could be kept on the farm and grown u)i into cat- 
tle, witliout being made veal of at all after they liave ])assed 4 weeks 
of age ? 

Mr. Vary. Yes, sir; that is true. 

Mr. Sims. In view of the scarcity of meat and the jjrevailing liigh 
prices of meat, wouldn't it be a good jiolicy to raise these calves who 



INTEESTATK SHIPMENT OF IMMATURE CALVES. 47 

are 1, or 2 or ;i weoks old instead of seiidiiij:; tliem ofi' to market, so 
that they could be used in the future >; 

Mr. Vary. I do not know about that, 1 am sure. 

Mr. Sims, In other words, wouhhi't it lie a ijood jiidiev to stop 
killing this veal at all ? 

Mr. Vary. It might be under some cireuiustanees; but it would 
take awav prettv good living, and our consumers would hardlv like 
that. 

Mr. Sims, lUtimately the consumer would be l)enefited by reason 
of having a larger sujiply of meat ^ 

Mr. Vary. They coidd not all be kept on the farm. 

Mr, Stevens. You do not think that ought to be done at your 
expense, I ]iresume \ 

Mr. Vary. No. 

Mr. Snis. Looking at it in a broad sense, and not simply from the 
stand|)(iint "f tiic individual, the ()wner of the calves'^ 

The C'liAiR.MAN, Isn't it a fact, from your observation, practically, 
that the older the calf gets, the nearer it gets to tlie weaning day, that 
the more milk is left with the mother for tiie jiuriiose of human con- 
sumption I 

Mr, Vary. The calf consimies more milk as time goes on. 

The Chairman. Yes. As the calf grows older, does he leave more 
milk with the mother to be used for other ])urposes >. 

Mr. \'ary. Not in my ex])erience with them. On<^ cow will not 
su])ply a calf of four weeks, unless it is a cow out of the ordinaiy. 

The CiiAiR.M.VN. When the calf is very young you do not give all of 
tlie milk of the mother to the calf, do you >. 

Mr. A'ARY. Not the first week or two. 

The Chairman. Wiat do you do with the balance of it? . 

Mr. Vary. A good many that follow that inisiness luive smaller 
calves coming along to take that balance — to take the ])lace of those 
that become weaned off, until they become of ])roper age, unless it is 
desirable to use the cream for the manufacture of butter. That 
depends upon the situation somewhat. 

\\x. Hamilton. I know that conditions tliii'er in various ])arts of 
the country. I live in MichigaiL In my part of the ountry it is 
customary to take a calf from its mother when it is first dro[iped — 
that is, put it into an inclosure by itself, and at night, when the cows 
come iiL turn the cows in with the calves, and let the calves take the 
milk from their mothers: but they do not let the calves follow the 
mothers in pasture. Then, in a few days they begin to teach the calf 
how to drink. This gentleman is sj)eaking of the pi'actice in his 
country. I am speaking of the way they do it in my locality. They 
teach the calf then how to drink, and by and by they giv(> it skimnu'd 
milk. Am I right about that 

Mr. Vary. It dejiends ujion the jiurpose — not foi' veal iiurjioses. 

Mr. Hamilton. I am not talking about veal. I am talking about 
the custom. Whether they shall raise the calf or not. I don't 
think they give it all of the mother's milk. They teach the calf to 
drink after a little, and by and by the calf gets so that it can drink 
out of a bucket of milk, aiul that milk is not the milk as it comes 
from the mother, but it is diluted with skimmed milk, .and maybe, 
after a while, entirely skimmed milk. Now, how is it with you '\ 

Mr. Vary. .Skimmed milk does not make jnime veal. You can 
not make prime veal fiom skimmed milk. 



48 INTERSTATE SHIPMENT OF IMMATURE CALVES. 

Mr. Hamilton. But you are not laisiiif; the calf for veal, pri- 
marily. 

Mr. Vary. Yes, sir; in some sections, if they are near a milk sta- 
tion or a creamery, and the milk largely goes there. 

Mr. H.vMiLTON. Isn't it customary in certain parts of your State, 
as well as other States — this practice isn't conhned to one State — 
to let the cow have the calf primarily for the production of milk, the 
object being to get rid of the calf as soon as i)ossil)le ? 

Mr. Vary. The sooner you can get rid of the calf under those cir- 
cumstances the more profit there is in it. 

Mr. Hamilton. Isn't it true that in many parts of the country 
they sell the calf very soon, because the calf is in the way, and what 
they want the cow for is to have a su))])ly of milk i 

Mr. Vary. That is in di'l'erent sections some do that. 

Mr. Hamilton. Isn't it from that very custom that this cruel 
custom of shi|jping immature calves arises? 

Mr. Vary'. I am not defending that custom at all. That may be. 
We are against the shii)ment of immature calves. We are always 
against it. I speak for the New York State Grange, and also for 
the department of agricultin-e in our State. We are against that, and 
faA'orable to any reasonable proposition that t(uids to do away with it. 
All we ask is that you fi.x the age limit at 4 weeks instead of (5, and we 
will be i)erfectly satisfied. 

Mr. Sims. How would you lik(> to liave it matle one year instead of 
either? That is, in order to be sliijiped for slaughter, provide that no 
beef of any animal under 1 year olil can be sliipjjed for such ]iin-])os(^s ? 

Mr. ^'ary. W(^ would not have any veal then. 

Mr. Sims. Wouldn't the country be better olT without veal? 

Mr. Vary. No: I can't say that I think it would. 

ilr. Sims. It is inferior meat that nolxxly wants if they can ])ay for 
any other. 

Mr. Vary. No: that is not true. I like it if it is riglit. 

Mr. Hamilton. Supposing you luid 5U calves, all of tliem 3 weeks 
old, en routi^ for New York, liow long could those calves be on the 
road without criu'lty to the calf? 

Mr. A'ary. Well, 1 ilo not know. When tliey run with tlie mother, 
they go from 12 to 14 hours witiiout eating. 

Mr. Hamilton. That is where lliey are confineil in a comfortable 
inclosure, and not subjected to the wear and tear of travel? 

Mr. Vary'. They get them there as soon as possible. 

Mr. Hamilton. How would you feed them, say a 3-weeks-old 
calf? . ' . . 

ilr. \'.\RY. It would be ouite a job to feed a carload. 

Mr. Hamilton. You couldn't do it, could you ( 

Mr. Vary. It could be done, yes. 

Mr. Hamilton. Then it comes to this: When you start out to ship 
a carload of calves you must assunu> that they can not be fed en route, 
or at any time until slaughtered? 

Mr. Vary. I should think they might be. 

Mr. Hamilton. We want to get at the exact facts about this. 
These gentlemen want to tell them, I have no doubt about that. We 
have got this matter under consideration, and we are all human, and 
we all want t(j accomplish the same purpose, I assume, from what you 
gentlemen have said. These calves, from the time they leave the 



INTERSTATE SHIPMENT OF IMMATURE CALVES. 49 

farm to the time tiiey are slauijlitered, fjo i>nicticall\ witlmut food. 
Tliat is about it. Now, the (juestion arise.s how old those ealves slioiild 
be liefore they are started. 

Mr. Vary. I think calves 4 weeks old will stand the shi))mcnt 
]>ractieally as well as those which are older. If they have hay where 
they can get to it, or some other feed, why they will take it. 

Mr. Hamilton. I want your best judgment on this, because we 
want to get the facts. 

Mr. EsCH. Has your State law any limitation as to the time of 
transit of veal-calf shi])ments'? 

^Ir. Vary. The lengtit of time on the road? 

Mr. P]scH. Yes. 

Mr. Vary. I think there is. 1 can not tell. 

Mr. BoussARD. There is a time limit. The distance is 154 miles 
from Albany, and all calves shi))i)ed to my town for New York, 4 
weeks of age, have to be uidoaded and fed at Alliany, as T understand 
the law. 

Mr. C'iTKTis. If tlu\v are over the limit of the humane law, th(\y are 
unloaded, if they could make it or not? 

The Chair.man. '^'(Ui say the 4-week limit? 

Mr. Vary. Yes, sir; that is the age limit in Vermont and Massa- 
chusetts, and 3 weeks is the age limit in New Jersey. 

Mr. EscH. Do you apply the Federal 2S-hour law to your intra- 
state shipments? Have you a similar provision in your vState law? 

Mr. Vary. I am not positive as to that . 

Mr. Boussard. The law in New York is 24 hours, and after that 
time limit is exceeded they have to be imloaded at the next unloading 
point. They are taken oif by the Government and fed and waten^l 
and cared for. 

Mr. C'ULLor. I would like to ask the witness a f|uestion. Your 
desire for the 4-week limitation is more because it will conform 
with vour State law than it is out of consideration for the age of the 
calf ? ■ 

Ml-. Vary. Not jjarticidarly that, but it would be well if they could 
be uniform laws, the law of the Unitetl States and the State law, 
knowing that our position is just this, that a calf of 4 weeks will 
stand the shij)ment. He is perfectly fit for food; just as much so as 
he will be at the age of 6 weeks, because the keeping of that calf for 
an extra two weeks will return practically nothing to the farmer. He 
increases in size, ami it takes an immense amount of milk to do that. 
And the price, I am informed by a man who handles them in New 
York, is from 2 to 3 cents per ])ound less for the heavyweights than 
for the calves that are of a weight from 135 to 150 pounds, which 
seems to be the proper weight for }irime veal. 

Mr. CuLLoi'. What is the weight of the average calf at 4 weeks 
of age ? 

Mr. Vary. 1 think from 135 to 150 pounds; somewhere about that. 

The Chairman. What is the length of time, did you say, it takes 
the average calf to reach the weight of 100 to 125 pounds^ 

Mr. Vary. One hundred and twenty-Hv(> pounds? 

The Chairman, ^'es. 

Mr. \'ary. That would (l('|)end a good deal u|ion the kind of animal 
it was. 

The Chairman. I am jusi talking to you about the average calf. 
41920^12 4 



50 INTERSTATE SHIPMENT OF IMMATURE CALVES. 

Mr. Vary. In four weeks' time ? 

The Chairman. Yes. 

Mr. Vary. One liundred and twenty-five pounds, and some would 
be larger than that, but perhaps that would be a fair average. 

Mr. Hamilton. It would depend upon the breed? 

Mr. Vary. Yes; it would depend upon the breed. Some calves 
weigh 100 pounds at birth, but that is rare. 

Mr. Sims. In order to reach this matter without discrimination, so 
that it will reach tlie proper parties in the State, why not put a Fed- 
eral tax on the slaughter of all cattle under 1 year old, making it .|10 ? 

Mr. BosHART. Put just as much tax on it as you- want; we will 
stand for it. And let the consumer stand it. 

Mr. Vary. I guess I have covered everything. 

Mr. Escii. In the administration of your fovn--weeks law in New 
York have you found any ditliculty, as a practical proposition, in 
determining the age of a calf '^ 

Mr. Vary. Wlien it is between 3 and 4 weeks of age, probably it is 
a hard matter, but you can tell pretty near. 

Mr. Stevens. Is there much di.i'erence between 4 and 6 weeks * 

Mr. Vary. No, sir. 

Mr. Stevens. Is there much difficidty to tell the diflerence between 
a calf 4 weeks of age and a calf 6 weeks of age'? 

Mr. Vary. Well, it would be larger, of course, consideralily larger, 
if it is 6 weeks old than if it is 4, provided it had plenty of milk, but 
it takes an awful lot — if you do not scrimp them. 

Mr. Stevens. Would that be the tendency to do that among the 
farmei's — to scrimp tliem ? 

Mr. Vary. It would not fatten them at all. Couldn't do it. 

Mr. Stevens. So that the veal on that accovmt would not be any 
good ? 

Mr. Vary. Yes; they could not do it. 

Mr. Hamilton. You say you have a 4 weeks' age limit in New York; 
does that law also recpiire when you ship these calves 4 weeks of age, 
that they shall be accompanied by their mothers 'i 

Mr. Vary. No, sir. 

The Chairman. Doesn't it require that they sliall be only a certain 
number of hours in transit, and then taken off and rested ? 

Mr. Vary. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. What is that limit'' 

Mr. Vary. I think 24 hours. 

The Chairman. Then they have to take them off every 24 hours, 
and rest them how long ( 

Mr. Vary. I do not know. 

The Chairman. And take care of them and put them back and 
send them to the market. Is that what you want done in this law, 

too '': 

Mr. Vary. Yes, sir; that is all right. 

The Chairman. This bill < 

Mr. Vary. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Hamilton. Has the calf been taught to drink or eat, or to take 
feed of any kind, excepting from its mother, at the age of 4 weeks ? 

Mr. Vary. A good many do; yes. 

Mr. Hamilton. What is the practice up there? You say you ship 
them without having them accompanied by their mothers; how do 
you expect them to take nourishment on the way? 



INTERSTATE SHIPMENT OF IMMATURE CALVES. 51 

Mr. Vary. A large number of these veals are not allowed to run 
with their mothers at all; they are taught to drink when they are a 
day or two old, or 2 or 3 days old, and fed in that way instead of with 
the mother. 

Mr. Hamilton. Is that reasonal)ly true in all cases ^ 

Mr. Vary. Yes, I think it is. 

Mr. Hamilton. Aiid they are fed then, on the way. and the milk 
is shipped with them ? 

Mr. Vary. Yes, sir. 

I guess that is all. 

STATEMENT OF MR. GEORGE H. COBB, WATERTOWN, N. Y., EX- 
LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK. 

The Chairman. Give the stenographer your name, location and 
business. 

Mr. Cobb. George H. Cobb, Watertown, N. Y., at present rei)re- 
senting the thirty-lifth senatorial district of the State, and a lawyer 
by profession. 

The Chairman. A lawyer by ])rofession ^ 

]\lr. Cobb. Yes, sir. 1 represent one of the largest agricultural 
senatorial districts in the State of New York, a part of it inchKles 
Congressman Mott's district, antl my district adjoins that of Con- 
gressman DriscoU, and he can testify as to the importance of the dis- 
trict in an agricultural way. 

Now, I came here to rejiresent tiie farmers of my district, and of 
other portions of the State, particularly in northern New York. We 
are deeply interested in this subject, because it strikes a vital indus- 
try of this section. I was in the State senate for eight years, and 
representing an agricultural district, I was interested in this veal 
proposition. We used to have a three weeks' law in accordance with 
the P^ederal regulations, and it was ciiargetl that some cruelty existed, 
that in some cases veal was shi])pe(l wiiich was immature, anil 
together with others I was instrumental in raising the requirement of 
that law to four weeks. 

There is no State in the Union, with all due respect to the other 
States, that has taken a more advanced antl progressive stand upon 
this subject — upon the protection of a food product — than New York 
State has. It is true that some humane societies claim that immature 
veals are shi])ped into Boston. If they are it is an illegal shipment, 
and it is done in contravention and in violation of the law aiul in 
violation of the most rigid inspection tliat our State has ])een able 
to enforce. The responsibility rests upon the State of Massachusetts 
largely. We jirosecute them when we catch them in our State, and 
we prosecute them vigorously. We have had Mr. Pearson, com- 
missioner of agriculture — formerly connected with this department of 
agriculture, and for many years at the head of our department, one 
of the most progressive and efficient men in the country in his line — in 
charge of this work. 

Mr. Hamilton. What is your information as to the jjrevalence 
of this sort of shipments into the State of Massachusetts t 

Mr. Cobb. They are not so very prevalent. 

Mr. Hamilton. It has been testified here that they are. 

Mr. Cobb. You can get men interested in humane societies, and 
I ies])ect them, and I am connected with them, but their one idea, 



52 INTERSTATE SHIPMENT OF IMMATURE CALVES. 

the minute they see a shipment of calves where one calf has died, is 
that it is a cruel thing. It is a cruel thing to stick a knife into the 
tlvroat of a pig, from the pig's standpoint, but'men in northern New 
York or in other parts of the country w'ho are sliipping calves to Bos- 
ton or any other part, where they are dying in transit, are losing the 
purchase price, in addition to the sale of the product. The great 
majority of the men in the State interested in this industry are 
engaged in a legitimate and a wholesome business. They seek and 
desire to conform to this 4 weeks' law. 

New York City is peculiarly situated. It is the market of the East. 
Everything is centering in there. You can't get anything into New 
York, excei)t over one part of the New York Central, without it is 
interstate traffic The West vShore, which runs from the northern 
part of the State down, has its terminal at Hoboken. When you sliip 
from western New York, you have got to cut across a corner of Penn- 
sylvania, and there you have got interstate traffic. These various 
States, with the exception of New Jersey, have fought in a progres- 
sive way to get a uniform law, a 4 weeks' law, not for the purpose 
of making it uniform, but because they believe, and they know by 
Dr. Wiley's evidence and by the evidence of the best experts in the 
world, that a calf .3 weeks old is good food and fit for the market, 
but they have made it 4 weeks, so as to be absolutely sure about it. 
In practical operation, the calf is .5 weeks old when he gets there, 
because very often these shipments are made on Saturday of each 
week, and it very often happens that the calf is 4 weeks on the Sunday 
following. Consequently, it has to be kept until the following week 
before it can be shipped. So that in practical operation the calves that 
go on to Now York markets are nearer .5 weeks old than they are 
4 weeks of age. 

jMt. Hamilton. You think they are about one week on the road? 

Mr. Cobb. No; but thej* arrive in the yards, and it depends on the 
market whether they are slaughtered. Some days they keep them, 
and sometimes they feed them for two or tlu'ee days. 

Mr. Hamilton. V\ hat do they feed them on 'i 

Mr. Cobb. On milk antl gruels, and in some cases on bran. 

Mr. Hamilton. Did you ever see them do it? 

Mr. Cobb. Yes, sii-; I have seen them. I went to New York and 
went to these yards to investigate these alleged cruelties, and no man 
has got a softer heart then I have on the subject of cruelty to animals 
or anybody else, and I found out that there was a good deal of mis- 
statement with reference to this pro])ositioii. 

The Chairman. A great deal more sentimentality than fact? 

Mr. Cobb. Yes, sir. You know the average man is honest and is 
trying to do what is right. There are men who seek to violate the 
law, and we catch them and punish them. It may be that a few es- 
cape, but as a general proposition they are engaged in an honest and 
legitimate Inisiness. 

Mr. GoEKE. In your opinion, if every State would have strmgent 
laws agamst these practices complained of as New York has and 
enforced them properly, would there be any necessity for a Federal 
law on this subject i 

Mr. Cobb. Not at all. Evei-y State has a law against cruelty to 
animals, and every vState that I know of has a law to regulate the 
shipment of animals on railroatls. They are humane laws, they are 
continually being agitated and ])assed, and they are proper. 



INTERSTATE SHIPMENT 01" IMMATURE CALVES. 53 

Ml-. Hamilton. You arc a lavvyor, and yt>u would know how this 
state of affairs woukl work out, but it has been testified here by 
reputable gentlemen before this eonunittee that calves are shipped 
out of New York ami consigned to some one, say in Massachusetts, 
for breeding ])urposes. Of course, I take it, under your New York 
law you could not interfere with such a shi])ment, but would be 
required to ])resiune that these calves were destined for breeding 
purposes, would you not '. 

Mr. Cobb. We can if there was any cruelty in the manner of 
shipment. 

Mr. Hamilton. Yes, you couhl, certainly: but we will assume that 
you have not observed any cruelty. Now, when those calves — it has 
been testified — when those calves reach their destination in Massa- 
chusetts, the consignee is not a farmer (u- a stockraiser, but a Initcher, 
and he takes the calves and butchers them, and the calves, it has 
been testified, so shi])i)ed are frequently calves not a week old f! 

Mr. tV)BB. Now, Congressman, tlo you believe that ^ 

Mr. Hamilton. I believe Dr. Rowley, and I believe Mr. StilhnaiL 

Mr. Cobb. I have never seen one instance of that kind. 

Mr. Hamilton. Dr. Rowley testified that he has found many of 
them. 

]\Ir. ( 'oBB. I wish you would ask Dr. Rowley to give the mime of 
the shipper who shipped any cattle of that kind. 

The CiLviu.NLW. Ciui you name any State in the I'nion that has not 
got a law prohil)iting cruelty to animals^ 

Mr. Cobb. Not a .State. I do not think there is a Territory even, 
without such a law. 

The Chairman. Just following along the same line of States legis- 
lating and regulating the matter of purc^ foods* 

Mr. Cobb. Exactly. 

The Chairman. Don't you think the States are com|ietent and 
enabled to do that thing, and to do it efliciently? 

Mr. Cobb. Absolutely. We are all able to take care of ourselves, 
in our own locality, and we are interested in doing it. 

Tli(> CIIAIR.^^\N. You punish the violators^ 

Mr. Cobb. Yes, sir. 

Mr. H.'VMLiN. I got the impression, from some testimony given be- 
fore this committee on another occasion that there were men engaged 
in this traffic — I think not the men who own the calves — the farmers 
and the dairymen^lnit l)uyers who go out to the country and buy iq) 
these calves, and s])cculate with them, and shi]) them: is that true? 

Mr. Cobb. That is true. 

Mr. Hamlix. How can you say that the very thing Mr. Hamilton 
called your attention to does not exist \ These buyers go among farm- 
ers and buy ca'ves under three weeks of age, and the farmer can sell 
them to him, can't he? 

Mr. Cobb. He can. 

Mr. Ha.mli.n. There is no law to prevent it '. 

Mr. Cobb. He can sell it to him. 

Ml-. Hamlin. If these s|)eculators, tiien, pretend to shi]) that calf for 
breeding purposes, there is no law to pi-event theuL is there ^ 

Mr. Cobb. He ought to ship if for breeding ])ur]ioses. 

Mr. Ha.mlix. The evidence is that they do not do that, but con- 
sign them to some little butcher in Boston, and thev are Itutchercd 



54 INTERSTATE SHIPMENT OF IMMATURE CALVES. 

there for food, and that any number of them are handled in tliat way. 
The farmers are not doing tliat , I (hdn't get that idea, but these specu- 
lators, who go out and buy them up and ship them, are doing that. 

Mr. Cobb. But they are viohiting the law every minute they are in 
that transaction. They are violating the law when they jnit them on 
the railj-oad, and violating the law along the route in transit, and they 
are violating the law when they get into Massachusetts, and that is 
where the Mas.sachusetts authorities should act right there, because, 
take a calf, you can demonstrate absolutely whether a calf is three 
weeks of age by the condition of his navel. It doesn't heal up until 
that time. They can prosecute the merchant and the shipper. That 
is where they prosecute them in New York. When an insj)ector in 
New York sees these calves where their navel is not healed up, it is 
almost conclusive proof that they are under three weeks of age, and 
they have a right to seize them, take them. 

The Chairman. Isn't it a fact that, from a financial standpoint, the 
State of New York is more interested in the subject of this bill than 
any one State in the Union ? 

Mr. Cobb. Veiy greatly; there is not any cjuestion about it. 

The Chairman. And it will watcfi its own interest? 

Mr. Cobb. Yes, sir; that is what we are here tiying to do; but, 
of course, if this six weeks' limitation is put in there, it absolutely 
destroys that branch of the business. 

Mr. Sims. What business ? 

Mr. Cobb. Let nie say to the Congressman from Tennessee (Mr. 
Sims) — let me answer the question he asked with reference to raismg 
calves until they get to be a year old. We are not so well supplied 
with land as they are in the South, and we can not afford to raise 
cattle there. 

Mr. Sims. But you can send your calves to where lands are cheap? 

Mr. Cobb. We would have to shi]) them to Texas or Tennessee or 
some other State. 

Mr. Sims. Certainly; then they can l)e raised until they become of 
mature age, and then they can be killed and the consumer will be 
benefited. 

Mr. Cobb. I would like to see the cattle industry develo]H'd. We 
shi]) milk to New York, and there is a great demand for milk from all 
over New York. From where I live, 32.5 miles, we ship milk to New 
York City to be consumed there in its licpiid foi-m. 

Mr. CuLLOP. The industrv, then, is more profitable as a dairying 
industry than as a breeding incUistrv? 

Mr. Cobb. Yes, sir. 

Mr. CuLLOP. ^'ery much more so ? 

Mr. Cobb. Yes, sir. 

Mr. CuLLOP. Wouldn't it pay the farmers to knock a calf in the 
head the minute it is born and sell the hide and other products? 

Mr. Cobb. That is what he will have to do, and sell the hide, if the 
six weeks regulation is enforced. 

Mr. Sims. It is the dollar then, with him, more than the sentiment? 

Mr. Cobb. We are chuck full of sentiment. Congressman. You 
can not beat us in Tennessee on that. 

Mr. CuLi.op. Is not the l>utter and milk as much in demand as the 
meat ? 

Mr. Cobb. More. 



INTERSTATE SHIPMENT OF IMMATURE CALVES. 55 

Mr. Sims. What is the gi-cat incentive to dispose of the calf the 
very fii'st opportunity, if it is only a week oki ? 

Mr. Cobb. A gi"eat many farmers kill the calf and sell the hide. 

Mr. Sims. If a fellow comes along and gives them a fairly good 
price- 



Mr. Cobb. They know that is a violation of law. They are not 
crooked. If a farmer sells a calf 2 or 3 days old to one of these I)uy- 
ers, knowing that it is going to be shipped, he is morally giulty, if not 
legally so. 

Mr. Stevens. Can you convict a man umler the laws of the Slate 
of New York for a moral violation if it is not a legal violation >. 

Mr. Cobb. For any violation of the statutes. 

Mr. Stevens. Doesn't the statute of Xew York provide that 
immature calves can he shipped for breeding puiposcs, and isn't that 
the law •>. 

Mr. Cobb. It provides that if it is accompanied by its dam it can 
be shipped for breeding purposes. 

Mr. CuLLOP. But it failed to provide that it would be a violation 
of law to ship it for breeding purposes* There is failure to provide 
in that respect, is there not ? 

Mr. Cobb. It is covered l)y a permission to ship a calf with its 
mother. 

Mr. Stevens. Yes; but it has been testified before this committee 
that calves were shipped with the other cows. Now, m what way 
can you prove, in the ordinary course of shipping hundreds of cows, 
that the calf is not being shi])ped with its mother when it is accom- 
panied l)y a cow ? 

Mr. Cobb. If it is accompanied by a new milch cow 'I 

Mr. Stevens. That is a difieicnt proposition. 'With your inspectors, 
do you know whether the calf is with a new milch cow '^ 

Mr. Cobb. They do in New York State. 

Mr. Stevens. The charge is that they do not. That is the testi- 
mony before this committee. 

Mr. Cobb. Not in New York State ^ 

Mr. Stevens. Yes; in New York State. 

Mr. Cobb. They are shipped from New York State to Boston. 

Mr. Stevens. The charge is that the shipment originated with the 
immature calf being accompanied by an old cow. 

Mr. EscH. A canner. 

Mr. Stevens. Yes. 

Mr. CoviNCiTON. How long have you had in force in New York the 
four weeks' law? 

Mr. Cobb. I can't tell you — several years. 

Mr. Covington. It has been several years, has it not? 

Mr. Cobb. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Covington. .Since the enactment of that statute, in line with 
what Mr. Stevens has just said, have you actually known of any 
prosecutions in the Static of New York ftu" the shipment of cows, as 
referred to, into the State of Massachusetts and other States by the 
State authorities of New York? 

^Ir. (\)BB. Not for the shi])ment. but foi' the cruelty involved in it. 
Seiz.ures have been involved in it quite frequently. The calves from 
New York that go to Boston come through Albany, anil our depart- 
ment of agriculture has inspectois there, and if there is any indication 



56 INTEESTATE SHIPMENT OF IMMATURE CALVES. 

of cruelty they seize them. Of course, it' they are being sliipped in 
accordance with the ha\y antl there is no cruelty involved, the State 
has no authority. 

Mr. CoviNCJTON. Then, in the absence of actual cruelty, the pres- 
ence of a 2 weeks' old calf alongside of the cow would not incite the 
su.spicion on the part of the inspector to prompt him to say that the 
calf was not being shipped witli its dam for breeding purposes ? 

Mr. Cobb. If it was a new milch cow. 

Mr. Caldwell. Have you had any charges of cruelty with refer- 
ence to these shij)ments — have you ever heard any criticism on these 
shipments which come into New York ? 

Mr. Cobb. Not in late 3'ears. Our inspectors are continually on 

fuard as to these shipments, and they make seizures and they have — 
do not know of any suits going on now, but I have no doubt that 
there are suits pending, an<l I have prose(aite<l suits instituted by 
the connnissioner of agriculture for the shi)>nient of calves, but very 
often a disagreement arises as to age, and it will be a little calf, and 
th(> ins])ector will be mistaken. But tiiey have got the age proposi- 
tion now where there isn't much question about it. They can tell 
by the condition of the navel. 

I do not want to take up your time. We took this matter up 
with Secretary Wilson and he authorized us to state that, m his 
0j)inion, 4 weeks was a proper age. 

Mr. Hamilton. That is an important statement. You say that 
Secretary Wilson personally told your committee that 4 weeks was 
a jjrojx'r age ^ I will state to you that the bill as I have introduced 
it, was framed by the solicitor for the Agricultural Department, in 
cooperation with Secretary Wilson and Dr. Melvin, Chief of the 
Bureau of Animal Industry. That is exactly the reason why I was 
unable — '■ — 

Mr. Cobb. Let me explain that to you. The Secretary sent out and 
got this corresj)ondence with the chairman of this committee, ui which 
the chairman submitted this bill to him anil, I assume, asked his 
opinion. He didn't mention the contents of tiie chairman's letter, 
and he reati us the letter which he gave in reply, which referred to 
these abuses, antl said that he desired to stoj) them as much as he 
could; but he didn't, he said, give his approval to anything except the 
purpose of the bill. He said he didn't understand that there was a 
six weeks' limitation. He said that his exj)erience as a farmer and 
his knowledge of calves impressed him that 4 weeks was the proper 
age. 

Mr. Stevens. Dr. Melvin didn't say anything about that? 

Mr. Cobb. Dr. Melvin was not there yesterday. 

Mr. H.VMiLTON. And yet I asked the Secretary of Agriculture if he 
would detaU Dr. Melvin to come before the committee, and he came 
before the committee in Ijehalf of this bill, in which he participated 
in drafting. 

Mr. C'OBB. Yes, and the Doctor was trymg to prevent a cruelty, 
just as you want to prevent it, and just as we do; and I do not believe 
the Doctor understood the serious effect it would have on a legitimate 
trade going into New York. 

Mr. Hamilton. I was just trying to find out what Secretary Wilson 
actually wants. 



INTERSTATE SHIPMENT OF IMMATURE CALVES. 57 

Mr. Cobb. Secretary Wilson wants to stop tlie cruelty. There is 
no doubt about that; but with reference to tiiat four-weeks proposi- 
tion, if you will read the Secretary's letter, he does not express any 
apj)roval of an}- four-weeks or six-weeks ])ro[)osition. He did tell us 
that four weeks was about right. 

Mr. Hamilton. You are a very able lawyer, I should judge. 

Mr. Cobb. Not very. 

Mr. Hamilton. I want to call your attention to a ])roviso which 
I want to ask the committee al)out later, and move to have it incor- 
porated in this bill. 

The Chairman. Is it a proposed ])roviso to the bill? 

Mr. Hamilton. Yes. [Reading]: 

And the Secrotary of Agriculture may also j)ermit, under such regulations as he 
may deem jiroper, one shipment in interstate commerce of live calves, less than 
6 weeks old antl over 3 weeks old, when the entire time consinned in such interstate 
shipment to final destination, including lime of loading and unloading, does not 
exceed 10 hours. 

The Chairman. Let nic ask you if that is the entire proviso you 
are going to offer * 

Mr. Hamilton. Not the whole |)roviso. I will read the whole if 
you desu'e. 

The Chairman. There is a ])roviso just ahead of that. Are you 
going to offer that ? 

Mr. Hamilton. Yes, I am, but there was no (i)ntrovcr.sy about 
that ])art of it. The controversy arose, and i)erha])s centers this 
morning, around the age at which tlie calf may lie shi](ped. I will 
just put it into yolu- hands, Mr. Cobl). I woidd like to have your 
judgment on that, Senator. 

Mr. Cobb. Well, my opinion about that would be simply this: 
New York State is a large vState, and, as I said, we hve near the north- 
ern border, and it is 325 miles to the market. We can't get down 
there in 10 hours. Of coia-se, this would mean that 3^ou coidd not 
sliip, that the Commissioner of Agricidttu'e coidd not give a permit 
to ship calves unless they are 6 weeks old. That woidd have the 
practical eJfect of having your bill with a six weeks' jirovision in it. 

Mr. Hamilton. He can make regulations for the shipment of calves 
under 6 weeks and over 3 weeks old, if you will read it careftdly. 

Mr. Caldwell. But you have got to siii|) tliem through to ilestina- 
tion in 10 hours '< 

Mr. Cobb. That is where they can get through in 10 hoius. Your 
proposition includes the proposition of loading and unloading, and 
if you have seen one of those cars loaded, you will know that those 
calves are brought in in crates by the farmers. One gets uj) early 
and he wall get to the car at 8 o'clock, and another one will get there 
at 9 o'clock, and another one at 10 o'clock, .'ind they will drag along 
perhaps imtil afternoon, and all of that time is inchuled in the 10-hour 
limitation. Then when they get to market, it may be a poor time to 
sell, and they keep them for a day or two, and sometimes tliree days 
before they are slaughtered. 

The Chairman. You have given us a gootl many suggestions of 
value in your statement from a practical standpoint of finance and 
humanity. Now, do you hear of any grievous complaint made by 
th(» parties in the State of New Yorl< to the effect tliat the law on 
this sidijcct of the State of New York is not enforced? 



58 INTEESTATE SHIPMENT OF IMMATURE CALVES. 

ill'. Cobb. I haven't heard anything in the last two years. 

The Chairman. Isn't it a fact that as a member of the State senate 
you have given particular attention to this matter, and also to the 
framing of the law to regulate this afl'air from the standpoint of the 
State, and that the State is looking after its duty in that respect* 
Of course, some may have escaped, as they do in all States, antl 
un<ler our laws, single instances might be refiTred to that would 
indicate inhumane treatment, but isn't the law enft)rced in your 
State ( 

Mr. Cobb. Yes. sir. 

The Chair.man. With due regard to the interests of the people? 

ill-. Cobb. With much more rigor than the law with reference to 
larceny is enforced. 

The Chairman. More rigorously than the larceny law is enforced? 

Mr. Cobb. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. The ten<lency of the times. Senator, is claimed to 
be centralization ? 

Mr. Cobb. That is the idea. 

The Chairman. Wliich the people really ought to oppose ? I do 
not believe the Federal Government ought to take charge of any 
matter of tliis kind, a regulation that the State can take care of itself. 

Ml'. Cobb. Yes, sir; the chairman has summed it up very nicely. 

Mr. O. W. Martin. I would like to ask whether your New York 
law assumes to take supervision of interstate shipments ? 

Mr. Cobb. No; it does not, unless some New York statute is being 
violated. 

Ml'. O. W. Martin. Well, then, suppose if these calves got into 
interstate commerce, being shipped from western New York to Massa- 
chusetts, the inspectors at Albany would not assume to supervise that 
interstate shipment? 

Mr. Cobb. They would inspect them all. 

Mr. O. W. Martin. What aiitli(U'ity would they have to interfere 
with an interstate shij)ment ? 

Mr. Cobb. They have got autliority to see whether there is any 
cruelty involveil in the ))roposition. 

Mr. O. W. Martin. Su])]iose, for assum])tion, that there is a Federal 
statute, providing that interstate shipments of calves might be 
shipped, the calves being 3 weeks of age, we will say, and that the New 
York law insists that the calves shall not be shipped inside of 6 weeks 
of age. As a lawyer, would you undertake to say that your inspectors 
would have authority under that statute to interfere with an article 
lawfully in interstate commerce? 

Mr. Cobb. We couldn't stop them if they were 3 weeks of age, if 
thev complied with the Federal law, but if they were being abused, 
and impro]ierly treated, and not fed, we could sto]) it. 

Mr. O. W. Martin. So far as the age of the calves is concerned, 
you think that your authorities will not assume supervision ? 

Mr. Cobb. No; the Federal law is supreme. 

Mr. O. W. Martin. These other matters are mere matters of detail 
and regulation of commerce. Say that your law considers certain acts 
cruel, and the Federal law takes the op])osite view. Isn't this a fact, 
that as to interstate shij)ments Congress has exclusive power to regu- 
late, and that therefore, if there is difficulty in interstate shipment 
Congress must either meet or avoid the responsibility which rests 
ujjon Congress ? 



INTERSTATE SHIPMENT OF IMMATURE CALVES. 59 

Mr. Cobb. How anyone can state that this is a (liliieultv which 
affects the Nation is beyond my comprehension. 

Mr. (). W. AfARTiN. It is chximed that it is afYectini; tlie calves in 
shipment that Congress, nnth'r tlie commerce chxuse of tlie Constitu- 
tion, is responsible for. 

Mr. Cobb. There is the State of its destination, with tiie power to 
stop the traffic. 

Mr. Hamilton. As liearing upon your reply tt) Mr. Martin, I hold 
in my hand a letter from Hon. James Wilson, Secretary of Agricul- 
ture, ami I would like to have you state whether you agree with his 
conclusion. 

^Ii. Cobb. 1 have heard that read. I am just as mucli against it 
as you are. 

Mr. Hamilton. I understood you to say that you were able to take 
care of the cruelty end of it, if 1 cpiote you correctly '( You agree with 
that, then ( 

Mr. Cobb. There is no one who would do more to prevent a])uses 
than we woulil. 

Mr. GoEKE. I would be glad if Mr. Hamilton would read the whole 
letter. 

Mr. Cobb. I do not want to rest here and have it understood for a 
minute that we feel that the Secretary is in favor of ]iermitting cruelty 
in shipments, or anything of the kintl. He wants to <lo everytliing 
he can to stop it the same as we do. 

Mr. Sims. It is a cruelty to the people who eat these calves more 
than the cruelty to the animals. I do not want to eat the immature 
things. If they are sold, people will buy them and eat them. The 
public health is what I am considering more than anything else. 

Mr. Cobb. That involves a scientific cjuestion, and it is the general 
opinion of jihysicians that a well-fed calf 9 days old is fit for food. 
Dr. AViley places it at three weeks. In oriler to be perfectly safe, we 
have made it fom' weeks. 

Mr. Hamilton. For the sake of having it for future reference, can 
you tell me in what connection Dr. Wiley made that statement < 

Mr. Cobb. I can't do that. That is hearsay — what I hav(> heard 
in Albany. 

Mr. Hamilton. You wiJl have an ojjportunity U> correct your 
remarks, and I would suggest that in correcting tliem u]i you incor- 
porate that statement by Dr. Wiley if you can find it. 

Mr. Cobb. My information was that Dr. Wiley, speakint; on this 
Federal regulation with reference to shipping calves, stated that when 
they were three weeks old they were fit to eat. 

Mr. Hamilton. I want the statement. 

Mr. Cobb. I am not misrejnesenting. I stated to you that it is 
hearsay, stated by a gentleman in Albany with reference to B'ederal 
regulation and inspection of meat. The j^rovision that the veal must 
be three weeks old was based u])on a report by Dr. Wiley that a calf 
of that age is good food. 

Mr. H.\MiLTON. Let me get this right. I am not disputing what you 
say at all. I only wanted to get the original statement of Dr. Wiley 
into the record. 

Mr. Cobb. I will try to get it. I would like to get the doctor here 
hhnself on this question. 

I thank you very much, gentlemen. 

Mr. Driscoll. 1 suggest that we take a recess until _' o'clock. 



60 INTEKSTATE SHIPMENT OF IMMATURE CALVES. 

The Chairman. Unless there is objection we wUJ take a recess to 
2 o'clock p. ni. 

Mr. Hamilton. I want to make this further statement. There are 
some gentlemen here from Indiana, and I understand Mr. Korbly, of 
Indiana, came in with them, if I am correctly informed, who desire 
to be heard in opposition to certain phases of this bill. 

The Chairman. We wUl take a recess to 2 o'clock, and the other 
gentlemen may be heard at that time. 

Whereupon the committee took a recess until 2 o'clock p. m. 

AFTER RECESS. 

The committee met, pursuant to the taking of recess, at 2.30 
o'clock ]). m., Hon. Frank E. Doremus presiding. 

Mr. Doremus. Tliere are several gentlemen who wish to be heard 
this afternoon. I beheve Mr. Gerow is to be heard fii'st. 

STATEMENT OF MR. JOHN Y. GEROW, OF WASHINGTONVILLE, N. J. 

The Chairman. Give your name, residence, and occupation to the 
reporter. 

Mr. Gerow. My name is John Y. Gerow, of Washingtonville, N. J. 
1 am a farmer, and represent my industry. 

Mr. Chairman, when I heard of this bill I was very interested in it 
and started for Washmgton. The fu'st I knew of it was yesterday 
morning. It was a wonder to me wliat the intent of this bill was, 
but I have learnetl it since I have been here. We are very much 
interested in the making of deals in this State. Ours is a large 
business, and it is a very important factor in our commercial enter- 
l)rise. You luive here a condition where you wish to im])ose a six 
weeks' limit on the sale of calves. Wlien you do that you increase 
the cost of proiluction, as well as increase the cost of consumption. 
The last two weeks the calf is a very much greater expense than 
the first four. 'Wlien the calves are left off the cow, it is very detri- 
mental to the cow; but the practical men do not leave the calves 
on the cows; they feetl them fi-om the jiails. If you make a law of 
this kind and enforce it you cri|)pk> tlie prochiction and you enhance 
the cost of consumption, antl you also, in my o])inion, (hversify the 
channels. 

You also have in this bill the 10-hour limit. That is practically an 
embargo on the industry in the State I live in. A larger |)ortion of 
our calves are raised in the upj)er part of the State, and it is im|)os- 
sible, in 10 hours, to put thsm in the market and sell them. That 
can not be done, in my opinion. 

Mr. Stevens. Is Albany the lO-hour shipping jjoint in the u|)|)er 
])art of your State '>: 

Mr. Gerow. My shipping point is Jersey City: 1 live (iO miles from 
New York. 

Mr. Stevens. 1 am speaking with reference to the testimony we 
heard here this morning — that Albany would l)e a central shipping 
])oint for calves in the northern and northeastern part of the State. 

Mr. Gerow. I tliink it would. 

Mr. Stevens. Then how far I'rom Albany would the 10-hour pro- 
vision enable calves to be transported 'i 



INTERSTATE SHIPMENT OF IMMATURE CALVES. 61 

Mr. Gerow. Yini g(i back from tli> tinir the calf is started from the 
farm . 

Mr. Steve.n.s. The 10 hours would not commence until after (he 
cars had entered into commerce? 

Mr. (lERow. It woidtl not commence until after the car iiad entered 
into commerce. 

IVIr. Dri.scoll. The hill says, including;; the time of loadinij and 
unloading. 

Mr. Stevens. When it comes into the car, commerce begins. 

Mr. Driscoix. This includes the time of loading and unloading. 

Mr. Stevens. When it comes into the car it enters into commerce. 

Mr. Gerow. Oh, tliey would not all l)e loaded at one time in the 
car. We have several roads over whicii calves are shi|)]K'd; some go 
down l)y the Erie. 

Mr. Stevens. What is the ))oint of loading and unloading on that 
road ': 

Mr. Gekow. I tliink that j)robably wouhl be Binghamton. 

Mr. Stevens. That is on the Erie? 

Mr. Gerow. Yes, sir; on the Erie. 

Mr. Stevens. What would be the point on the Lehigh '>-. 

Mr. Gerow. I am not familiar enough to state just where that would 
be. They might unload at tiie iirst stockyard they come to. 

Mr. Stevens. Where is that, ordinarily? 

Mr. Gerow. They have so many stock3'ards, it is hard to tell. On 
the Pennsylvania ! ailroad (hey are lialde to take them off at Philadel- 
))hia, Lancaster, or '. ren(on; we find new places every day. '■ liey 
tell us they could not make a certain stockyard within the time limit 
which tlie law provides, and so they put them ofl' at another yard. 

Mr. Stevens. That is under the 28-hour law % 

Mr. Gehow. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Driscoll. Aside from the humanitarian and sentimental 
reasons is it not for the interests of the i eot)le who ship these calves, 
and who own them, to feed them and keep IJiem nourished, radier 
than to let tiiem slarve, tliereby |-ermitting (liem (o lose in weight % 

Mr. Gehow. Certainly. 

Mr. Driscoi.t.. It is for the interest of the people who own the calves 
to keeji them nourished properly. Do they not kee]) them fed, so 
they will weigh more ? 

Mr. Gekow. 'I'hey try to. ' he shipj^ers use every ojijiort unity 
they can to keep all calves well sujiplied, so that they will not shrink. 

I want to ask one fpiestion for information. My son sells a great 
many calves in Minnesota, well~l)red stock, and I woidd like to 
know if this would lie an endiargo on his shipping his calves 
to Minnesota from 4 to G weeks old >. Those thoroughbreds would be 
shii))ied to Minnesota from where we live by express, and su)ipose 
there is a ])urchaser there who wants .300 or 400 of these calves. 
Unfler this liill would the shipjier no( be prohibited from sending 
those calves until they arrived at the age of 6 weeks? That is a 
cjuestion tiuxt is of very great importance. 

Mr. Hamilton. There is an existing law which regulates tiie shi])- 
ping of cattle for stock purposes. 

Mr. Gerow. A law that ap])lies to (iuit ? 

Mr. Hamilton. Yes. 



62 INTERSTATE SHIPMENT OF IMMATUBE CALVES. 

Mr. Gerow. This overcomes that. It says that any common 
carrier can receive them under 6 weeks of age. These are valuable 
calves. 

Mr. Stevens. Anything that comes within the scope of this bUl 
would be included. 

Mr. Gerow. My son has this condition at the present time. He 
frequently shi]>s calves, about 50 or 60 a year; he gets his orders, 
and sometimes he puts in a calf 4 weeks old. lie ])rovides feed for 
those calves, and lie gets $75 for his calves, and there are other 
j)eople who get as high as from two to five hundred dollars for their 
calves '( 

Mr. Hamilton. How old are his calves? 

Mr. Gerow. From 4 to 8 weeks old, according to his custom or 
demands. I do not know why, but there are more hogs and more 
sheep which die in transit than there are calves. I know they tlo 
die. Wliy this law is a])))lied to calves I do not know. Cows and 
mature steers and horses die in transit, and they are fed antl watered. 
Even though you are within 40 miles of the market, you will at times 
lose some of t\\e cattle or sheep or hogs. Those are the statistics. 

Mr. Stevens. This committee went over that very carefully when 
amending the "JS-hour law. 

Mr. Gerow. Of course, I think that I voice the sentiment of the 
farmers, and I think that New York State has been foremost in 
advocating a pure-food law and doing everything they can to help 
the consuuKu- ni that way. I think that is the jjast record of the 
New York organization of farmers. We want to sell no goods that 
are objectionable. It is a matter of opinion as to what is good. 
You take the vSlavs; they will eat beaslings. You take the Irish 
woman, and she is just as bad. One man will eat one thing that 
another man would not. It is a matter of opinion as to what is good. 

I ])rcfer to hav(^ on my table for eating a 4 weeks old calf rather 
than a 6 weeks, because in the last two weeks it does not get the 
proper amount of nourishment. Forty ])0unds of milk a day is 
recpiired to feed a 6 weeks calf, after he is 5. If he does not get that 
his meat becomes stringy. I jjrefer a 4 weeks calf. 

Mr. Dri.scoll. If he is well fed for two days, he wUl fatten u]) ? 

Mr. Gerow. Certainly. 

Mr. Hamilton. May I ask a cjuestion now, so that we may have 
your position clear. Wiat is the youngest age at which you think 
they ought to be shipped '( 

Mr. Gerow. You are talking about my personal opinion 1 

Mr. Hamilton. Yes. 

Mr. Gerow. Two weeks of age. 

Mr. Hamilton. You mean they could go into interstate shipment 
at 2 weeks of age ? 

Mr. Gerow. 1 think he would suffer no less at 6 weeks. 

Mr. Hamilton. I think there is a concensus of opinion among those 
who have testified before the committee that calves are not fed en 
route. I want to ask you how long you think a single sliipment 
should be for calves which can not be fed en route ^ 

Mr. Gerow. That can not be fed en route ? 

Mr. Hamilton. Yes. 

Mr. Gerow. I do not think 

Mr. Hamilton. I mean to avoid crueltv. 



INTERSTATE SHIPMENT OF IMMATURE CALVES. 63 

Mr. Gerow. a certain amount of deprivation can not be avoided 
witlijany animal shij)ped on a car. It is impos.sible for yon 

Mr. TIamilton. How long; do yon think the shipment ouglit to be? 

Mr. Gerow. I think he would endure a journey of 24 hovu's without 
food. I have done it myself. 

Mr. Hamilton. Calves are mucli younger, however. 

Mr. Gerow. You can not .shi|) any cattle in tran.sit with comfort. 

Mr. IIa.milton. The older cattle are fed en route. The law requires 
them to be fed after 28 hours, does it not I 

Mr. Gerow. Of course they are fed. 

Mr. Hamilton. Wliat does the law provide in relation to feeding 
witliin 2S hours ? Is there not a jirovision for watering within 28 
hours '. 

Mr. Stevens. No. 

Mr. Gerow. Will you allow me to tell you one thing? 

Mr. Hamilton. Yes. 

Mr. (lERow. You can feed a calf all you want to in the morning, 
and at half past 3 in the afternoon he will cry for his mother. It 
is always that crying you hear in tlie car. 

Mr- Hamilton. You are a farmer, are you not ^ 
/Mr. Gerow. I have been a farmer for .52 years. 

Mr. Hamilton. A farmer now ? 

,]\l'r. Gerow. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Hamilton. Trace the course of the ordinary .shipment of a 
calf. The calf is brought on the farm, ami tran.st)orted 4 or .5 miles 
to the place of shipment. That will take several hours? 

Mr. Gerow. From two to five hours. 

Mr. Hamilton. The calf is not fed, of course, during that time. 
His legs are tied, pre.sunuibly — — 

Mr. Gerow. Oh, no. 

Mr. Hamilton. It has been testified to that they are, but we will 
say they are not. He is put into a crate or box. He is carried from 
the farm to the station where he is put into a car and kept there while 
other calves are lieing collected. About how long, do you think, the 
car would be held, ordinarily, before it is loaded '. 

Mr. Gerow. I think the car is held — I am not post(>d on this 
altogether — but I think from five to seven hours. 

Mr. ?Iamilton. Anil during that time the calf is not fed '. 

Mr. Gerow. No, sir. 

Mr. Hamilton. Then the car is started oil for New York. You 
say that 10 hours en route is too short, and that a longer time should 
be provided. How much longer than 10 hours do you think should b(> 
])rovided ? 

^fr. Gerow. I should think tlic calf ought to have — you have tlu^ 
calf en route there on the car, Init you have got to count your time 
limit from the time of shipment. From the time of shipment he 
should have 24 hours to get to market. 

Mr. IIa.milton. That would be 24 plus about '. 

Mr. Gerow. Plus about seven. 

Mr. Hamilton. We will say from .5 to 7; 24 ]>lus 7 would be .51 
hours. When the car reaches its destination the calves are unloaded 
in a stockyard. The i)lace, of course, is uninviting; it is dirty and 
muddy; the testimony is that it is that way. 

Mr. Gerow. That is a fact. 



64 INTEESTATE SHIPMENT OF IMMATURE CALVES. 

Mr. Hamilton. There is not a green thing there and the calf is not 
fed, is he ? I mean in ordinary practice. Let us deal with this thing 
as man to man, between you and me, straight. 

Mr. Gerow. Where I have seen them unloaded they are fed. 

Mr. Stevens. He will not eat or drink much after a trip of that 
kind? 

Mr. Gerow. They will flrink, but they will not eat until they get 
cjuiet. 

Mr. Stevens. Tliat is so with any animal ? 

Mr. Gerow. That is so witli any animal; they will not each much, 
but they will drink. 

Mr. Hamilton. Drink what? 

Mr. Gerow. They will (hink water. 

Mr. Hamilton. But they have not been drinking water thereto- 
fore. How long are they held in the stockyard before they are 
slaughtereil, ordinarily ? 

Mr. Gerow. You will have to ask the man who sells them. I 
could not tell you. I am here to tell you the truth. 

Mr. Hamilton. We know you are. We want to get at the truth 
of this ami do what is right. Can you give a guess about that ? 

Mr. Gerow. I have seen them sold wathin three hours after they 
are unloaded, but as to their future disi)osition I tio not know. 

Mr. Hamilton. Is it not a little unusual to have them sold in three 
hours after they are unloaded ? 

Mr. Gerow. The market is generally over in four or five hours. 

Mr. Hamilton. They are sold to market butchers, are they not? 

Mr. Gerow. I believe so. 

Mr. Hamilton. You do not know what the market butcher does 
with them? 

Mr. Gerow. He slaughters tliem; I do not know how soon. 

Mr. Hamilton. There are some butchers here, are there not, who 
can tell that ? 

Mr. Gerow. I do not think there are. 

Mr. Hamilton. There are some stockyard men who could tell? 

Mr. Gerow. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Hamilton. It is obvious to you, is it not, that we ought to 
have some time .specified for tlie shipment of these calves — a limita- 
tion of the number of hours they should be en route deprived of all 
nourisliment? I want to call your attentioii to this: It lias been 
testified here that the meat of these calves is unwholesome for food 
after they have suffered agony and starvation. It has been said by 
Dr. 1- lliott that it sets up an inflammation or condition that results 
ill ptomaine ])oisoning wlien tlie meat is eaten. Have you any 
knowledge as to that? 

Mr. Gerow. I have none whatever as to that. 

Mr. Hajiilton. Then we have this to consider. We have the 
question of cruelty to animal, whicli, I tliink, every man ought to 
consider. Next, we have to consider, witii reference to food, the 
effect of that meat upon the jierson wlio eats it. Tliose are two 
elements which are certaiidy involved. 

Mr. Gerow. Well, why tloes it not apply to the other animals? 

Mr. Hamilton. The situation, as I understand it, is that tlie older 
animal can endure privation, perhaps, for a longer time than the 
calf: l)ut I am not certain as to that. 



INTEKSTATE SHIPMENT OF IMMATURE CAL\T;S. 65 

Mr. Hamlin. I remember that tliere was some evidence tliat the 
older animal iiad a sort of reserve |)o\ver and could j^o longer without 
food tlian the younger animal. 

Mr. CiERow. And vet not im|)air tiie llesii. 

Mr. Hamlin. Just like a fat man can endure fever longer tluin a 
lean man. 

Mr. Gerow. I am not a scientist. 

Mr. Hamilton. You mean to he a fair man. I can see that you 
are, and we are trying to get togetlier on a ])ill. 

Mr. Gerow. I know that a |iig and a slice]) and a cow arc deprived 
of their regular rations. 

Mr. Hamlin. I should like to ask a (|uestion. Is it not a fact that 
a large percentage of these calves that arc shipped are not taught to 
eat before they are shipped '. 

Mr. Gekow. a larger percentage are taugiit to eat than are not 
taught to eat. I am speaking (inly for the State of Xew York. I 
know notiiing about Indiana, or Ohio, or the other States. I speak 
only for the State of Xew '\'ork. It is not so in the State of New 
Yoi-k. 

Mr. Ha.mlin. I got that imj)ressit)n from the testimony before this 
committee, that a great many calves shii)ped to New York and Boston 
were not taught to eat, did not know how, and they came into Boston 
or New York in a starved condition, absolutely unfit for food. 

Mr. Hamilton. And several of tiiem died. 

Mr. Dkiscoll. They were very young calves. 

Mr. (lEROw. They were bob veals, were they not ? 

Mr. Hamlin. I presume they were. 

Mr. CiEROw. We are not asking to shi]) bob veals. 

Mr. Ha.milton. I understand you aic not in favor of that? 

^Ir. Gerow. We do not like it. 

Mr. Hamilton. Is it not true that a gieat deal of that kind of veal 
is shipjH'd out of New York into Massachusetts ? 

Mr. Gerow. It is not so in my section. I do not know as to the 
othei- sections. I can tell you one thing. A man is intelligent in re- 
gard to a subject according to the subject he hantllcs, and if you will 
go and look at a cow or a steei-, aninnds that are very much in de- 
mand, if you will look at a cow when she comes o'T the car you well 
declare she is starA^ed to death. .lust in traveling 50 miles to New 
York she looks as if she is hollow. 

Mr. Hamilton. I do not mean to intimate that you ship that kind 
of veal. You do not look like a man who would do that. 

Mr. Gerow. I do not ship any kind of veal. 

Ml'. Hamilton. You do not look like a man who would do that. 
Is it not true that there are ))eo])le who are doing it ? 

Mr. Gerow. You make laws for the just and the unjust, and tliei-c 
are violators of the law in all kinds of traflic. 

Mr. Ha.milton. That is the jKiint exactly; and that is why I be- 
lieve we should pass a law that will not give them an opportunity. 

Mr. Gerc^w. You will have them, even after you pass the law', to 
lie just the same. Because you ])ass a law against murder, you can not 
stoji a man from taking another man's life. 

Mr. Stevens. That is not a good reason for not passing a just law. 

Mr. Gerow. You are supposed to ])ii)tect society. 

11920—12 5 



66 IlSrTEESTATE SHIPMENT OF IMMATURE CALVES. 

Mr. Hamilton. And tho fact that the haw is violated is no reason 
wky we should not pass a law making the penalty severe. 

Mr. GERO•vv^ The question is whether yon are going to put an em- 
bargo on the industr}' of shipping calves. There are over 265,000 
calves shipped to New York every year. 

Mr. Hamilton. We are not going to interfere with that, unless 
you ship tliem interstate. We can not interfere with calves that you 
ship down the State to New York City. 

Mr. Gerow. You can not ship any calves to New York in anv 
manner. 

Mr. Drisccill. He is on the other side, and he lias to shi]) tliem 
down to IIoi)ok('n. 

Mr. Hamilton. This very provision in the amended l)ili that I 
propose permits the Dej)artment of Agriculture to meet exactly that 
objection. 

Air. Hamlin. I understood that this morning. 

Mr. Gerow. I do not know what ex]ierience you gentlemen had, 
but by the time we get throvigh with the processes of the law — if we 
^ould get a stationary ordinance to allow us to go out of that straight 
traffic — if we have to (hi that every time we ship calves, we will have 
to stop. 

Mr. Hamilton. Does it not come to this, that you do not believe 
there shovdd be any limitation as to the time during which calves 
shall be en route, other than the general provision now applicable to 
older cattle, namely, 28 hours? 

Mr. Gerow. Twenty-four hours, we have. 

Mr. Hamilton. Twentv-eight hours. You would make no change 
in relation to calves at all? 

Mr. CiEKOW. I do not tiiink the calf sutlers any more than the 
sheep. 

Mr. Hamilton. Following up your own statement, you would 
have 28 hours en route, you would have .5 hours before starting, and 
5 hours after arriving, and that would be 38 hours. 

Mr. Gerow. It does not take 24 hours to go to New York. 

Hr. Hamilton. I am talking about the limit. 

Ml-. Gerow. Does not that same thing a])ply to tlie mature animal 
as well as to the calf? 

Mr. Hamilton. I think it does. 

Mr. Gerow. The calf will last just as long ^^^thout food as the 
mature animal. 

Mr. Hamilton. It seems to me to be absolutely cruel to take a calf 
away from its mother when it has never been taught to take any 
food except milk, and keep it for 40 hours without anything to eat; 
not only absolutely cruel, but that its meat must be unwholesome, 
and if ])eople are so commercial as to insist that that sort of stuff is 
wholesome and that sort of ])ractice right, I do not agree with them. 

Mr. Gerow. I nud^e the statement to you gentlemen that I have 
.seen a calf 3 days old that never had a drop of milk, that grew ui). 

Mr. DoREMUS. I do not believe it would be fit for food an(l I do 
not believe a calf can go as long as a grown animal without food. 

Mr. Gerow. A calf can eat when it is 3 weeks old — most of them do. 

Mr. Hamilton. You still insist that the 28-h()ur law should apply 
to the calf the same as to the older animal '. 

Mr. Gerow. I do: yes, sir. Our State law is what we go by. It 
is 24 hours. 



INTERSTATE SHIPMENT OF IMMATURE CALVES. 67 

STATEMENT OF MR. J. G. CURTIS, UNION STOCKYARDS, NEW 

YORK, N. Y. 

Mr. DoREMUs. Wo will hear from Mr. Curti?;. {Tiv(^ your name, 
address, and business to the stenoo;rapher. 

Mr. Curtis. J. G. Curtis, Union Stockyards, West Si.xtietli Street, 
New York City. My home is in Columbia County, N. Y. 1 will 
state that I am a farmer and iiave always been and I am quite exten- 
sively engaged in the commission business in live stock. 1 have lieen 
ui this commission business the last .'56 years. The ground has been 
pretty well covered already, but there are two or three things I want 
to call your attention to, and one or two I want to emphasize. I 
think we are all agreed that a calf 4 weeks of age that is healthy is good 
and wholesome as food, if he is healthy when he is dressed. I do 
not think there is any question about that. If that is true, and the 
comjilaint seems to Ite largely on humanitarian pi-inciples — if that is 
true, and a calf 4 weeks old will stand a shijiment as well as one that 
is 6, is theie any reason why you can not enforce the law on a 4-week- 
old calf as well as on a (i-week-old calf? Is there any good reason 
wliy you c;ui not do that '. You can tell the age of the calf up to the 
time lie is .'5 weeks old — up to that time you can tell it pretty close. 
It is a little diilicult from that time until he is 4, but from 4 to G I do 
not think there is any expert living who can tell the ditrerence, and 
tell it absolutely. I handle thousands of calves every year and I 
see the inspectors of our State two or three times a week, and I see 
the way they select, and I know the signs by wliich th(>y select. I 
am speaking 

Mr. Hamilton. Suppose we should say that the age should be fixed 
at 4 weeks, how long do vou want to keep this calf en route, without 
food 'I. 

Mr. Curtis. I am coming to that. 

Mi-. Hamilton. jVII right. 

Mr. CuRTLs. Now, in regard to the shrinkage on calves in transit. 
The humane laws of our State are the same in regard to calves as tiiey 
are in regjird to sheej) and hogs and cattle; they are allowed the same 
lengtii of time. The shrinkage — most of the stock is taken in by 
weight — the shrinkage, within a few pounds, is practically the same. 
The full-grown steer and the fidl-grown calves, on an average, will 
shrink about S pounds to the hundred, from the time they are weighed 
in at the station until the time they are weighed off the scales in New 
York, if pro])ei'l\' cared for. Would not that go to show tliat this 
4-weeks-old calf stands the shipment just as well as the 4-year-old 
steer ^ It is an absolute fact, and I think several of the gentlemen 
here from the Jersey City yards will bear me out, that the calves that 
are pulled nlf the cars which a,re 6 or 8 weeks old are not so strong. 
They do not ship those calves until they are '1 or ;■! months and some- 
times 4 months old. They are high-class calves. 

There is one ])oint that has been brought out two or three times, 
and 1 do not think it is necessary for me to speak about it very long, 
and that is that a 4-weeks-ol(l calf is worth as much in dollars and 
cents and will bring to the consignee as many dollars and cents as one 
that is (), and if you enforce this 6-weeks law, you will have to carry 
the calf two weeks practically for notliing. They speak about 
feeding. I do not know what the practice is in the Jersey City yards. 
1 do know something about what it is in Bulfalo, anil I know some- 



68 INTERSTATE SHIPMENT OF IMMATURE CALVES. 

thing about Albany, and every carload of calves that is consigned, if 
it has been any length of time in transit — I think 24 hours — is fed 
there and watered there, anil they are very careful to do that. These 
shippers buy their calves and they pay their money for them, and 
they buy them by the pound, they bring them to our market and 
the}' sell them by the pound, and they want to get all the weight they 
can get out of them. The calf that would come in this shipment 
would be put on in iVJbany, and slii])ped from there to our market, 
150 miles, and will not shrink any more than a calf that is shipped 
from 60 miles uj) on the Harlem River, and only about four or five 
hours from the market. They will eat hay and meal, and they will 
drink water. We have men on hand at the yards at 4 or 5 o'clock in 
the morning, and from that time until 7 o'clock their whole attention 
is given to the feeding and watering of tliese calves and getting them 
m shape. 

Some gentlemen on the committee asked me why we do not raise 
steers in New York State. We would be glad to do it if we could do 
it at a profit. There are comparatively very few raised there. We 
have milk breeds of cattle, and the steer calves are not good beef 
cattle. Thev raise quite a percentage of heifer calves in certain sec- 
tions of the State, in the sections away from the railroad. The ques- 
tion was asked here as to the points of feeding. The law is such that 
when they get to this 24-lu>ur limit they must unload and feed their 
stock. The railroad companies are responsible and are held respon- 
sible, and they drive them right up to the limit in that matter, and 
they do a profitable business. They feed in Albany, in Syracuse, in 
Utica, and sometimes in Poughkeepsie. They have to get some 
place; they are not allowed to go beyond the limit. In New York 
State they are very rigid in enforcing this law. Yesterdtiy, of 4,200 
calves on our market, and this is the time of the year we get more 
light calves than at almost any other time because the cows are not 
in good condition — the ins])ectors got eight calves, and I think that is 
the largest seizure they have made in eight weeks. I do not think 
our percentage of loss from New York State shipments is more than 
1 calf in 1,000. The percentage of loss in grown cattle would be 
very much larger because they are piled uj) in the car. Are there 
any questions you would like to ask me ^ 

^Ir. Hamilton. What is your business, ]\lr. Curtis? 

Mr. Curtis. I am a farmer and commission merchant. 

Mr. Hamilton. Are you farming very much 'i 

Mr. Curtis. I am carrying about 100 cows. 

Mr. Hamilton. Where do you live ? 

Mr. Curtis. My residence is in Columljia Covmty. i 

Mr. Hamilton. Where is that ? 

Mr. Curtis. That is about 30 miles south of .Albany and about 1 IS 
miles north of New York City. 

Mr. Hamilton. Wliere do you do business? 

Mr. Curtis. At the Union Stock Yards, West Sixtieth Street. 

Mr. Hamilton. New York City ? 

Mr. Curtis. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Hamilton. Then you know about the traffic in calves? 

Mr. Curtis. I think so: I have rais(Ml them and bought them and 
sold them. 

Mr. II.\MiLTON. Are vou entjased in the dairv business? 



IKTEESTATE SHIPMENT OF IMMATURE CALVES. 69 

Mr. Curtis. Yes. 

Mr. Hamilton. I suppose that in your daiiv business a calf is not 
considered of primary value as such \ 1 mean to say that you want 
the cow so that the cow will give milk; that is true ^ 

Mr. Curtis. Yes. 

Mr. Hamilton. And when the calf comes, you being busy about 
the farm, having a large nunil)er of cows to milk, do not like to 
bother very much, or divert your force very much to the business 
of teaching calves to eat and drinks 

Mr. Curtis. In my dairy we let them suck the cow. If we carry 
them at all, we carry them from four to five weeks; sometimes we 
sell one to parties — we have parties away from the railroad. 

Mr. Hamilton. What do you mean by the term "bob calf?" 

Mr. Curtis. It is a calf supposed to be one day to a week old. 

Mr. Hamilton. As a matter of fact, I take it, Mr. Curtis, that a 
good many of the dairymen like to sell the calves as soon as they 
conveniently can in order to get tliem off their hands ( 

Mr. Curtis. Certainly. 

Mr. Hamilton. And the price they get for the calf is not of primary 
importance with them '. 

Mr. Curtis. Well, that ilepends on the season of the ycai-. The 
price of the market varies with the different months. 

Mr. Hamilton. Y(>s. 

Mr. Curtis. Just at the present time 1 ha\c a creamery on my 
farm- a buttei" and cheese creamery within a block of the barn. 
With the price of initter and cheese to-day, 1 think I can get more 
out of the calves than I could out of the miJk that way. If the 
price on the market was high, 1 would get what I thought that calf 
was worth, and I nuiy be able to get .S2..50 or %'?,.bO fnr those calves 
when the milk is good, alxuit the ninth milking. 

Mr. H.A..MILTON. The ninth milking means four days ^ 

Ml'. Curtis. Y(>s. 

Ml'. Hamilton. A little (ncr four days >. 

Mr. Curtis. Yes. 

Mr. H.\MiLTON. So that if the milk of the cow would bring more if 
sold than if given to the calf, then it would be a good connnercial 
proposition to sell the milk and let th(> calf go for what V(Ui couhl <j;(>t 
for it >: 

Mr. Curtis. Most assuredly; but what has that to do with the 
cpiest ion >. 

Mr. Hamilton. I suppose that is a matter of argument. 1 take it 
that othei-s reason this tiling out the way you do, because you are an 
intelligent man. 

Mr. Curtis. Many of them <lo that in the milk business. 

^Ir. Hamilton. How manv calves do you sup]jose jire produced in 
the State >. 

Mr. Curtis, I am not ai)le to give you that now, exactly. We 
receive in New York aliout 21.5,000 a year. A good manv of them go 
to Buffalo, and some of them go to Boston. We have aline of roads 
all the way from Albany down, and tributarv lines into Albany; the 
Delaware & Hudson runs to Whitehall, and the Fitchburg line, taking 
in the western part of the Statt'. Those people are all in a positi(m to 
take advantage of any changers in our market, or the Bidfalo or Boston 
markets. Those people are quite large dealers. They do (|uit(> a 



7'0 INTERSTATE SHIPMENT OF IMMATURE CALVES. 

large business. It is nothing unusual for them to have two or three 
hundretl calves in a sliipnient. They are in communication with all 
these yards. The commission men telegraph them the prices. At 
wliichever place the price is the best, that is the place to wliich they 
ship. 

Mr. Hamilton. There is where the calves go ? 

Mr. Curtis. For that reason we do not get all. 

Mr. Hamilton. You do not bother to teach the calves to drink? 
I suppose on your farm there are produced — about how many calves 
will there be produced bv the 1st of June ? 

Mr. Curtis. Forty or fift}'. 

Mi. Hamilton. Forty or fifty calves. It would be quite a job to 
teach them to drink. 

Mr. Curtis. We do not attempt it. 

Mr. Hamilton. So after all, it comes to a commercial proposition; 
you dispose of those calves as soon as you can. They are not taught 
to drink ? 

Mr. Curtis. I want to correct one impression. In the pen where 
my calves are they are in a large box stall. We keep a box stall there 
with meal in it all the time. When they are 3 weeks old they begin 
to take it, sometimes a little younger. Sometimes we throw in a little 
hay; they will take that after they are 3 weeks old. 

Mr. Hamilton. A calf tioes not chew that for the sake of nourish- 
ment. 

Mr. Curtis. Thev seem to enjoy it. 

Mr. Hamilton. t)ry hay '* 

Mr. (\trtis. They will eat it. If you will give them sweet clover 
hay they will eat cjuite a bit of it. 

Mr. Hamilton. At the time a calf is 3 weeks old ( 

Mr. Curtis. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Hamilton. But you do not keep your calves until they are 3 
weeks old ? 

Mr. Curtis. We would not keep 

Mr. Hamilton. But you do not carrv them until theA' are 3 weeks 
old? 

Mr. Curtis. Every calf I have there now I expect to carry until 
they are past 4 weeks of age. 

Mr. Hamilton. I suppose you agree witli me that calves are not 
able to take any nourishment en route 'i 

Mr. Curtis. They do not feed them while they are on the car. 

Mr. Hamilton. Exactly; they do not feed them after they take 
them from yoiu' farm ? 

Mr. Curtis. Oh, yes. 

Mr. Hamilton. You sell those calves to tlie calf dealers? 

Mr. Curtis. Yes. 

Mr. Hamilton. You say that those calf dealers feed those calves 
after they leave your farm ? 

Mr. Curtis. Most assuredly. ^ ou have an iileu that those calves 
go into a muddy pen, open and exposed. The pens at the Union 
Stock Yards are under the supervision of the city board of health. 

Mr. Hamilton. I mean at your end of the route. Your farm is not 
at West Sixtieth Street. T am speaking about your farm. 

Mr. Curtis. You mean 1 did not feeil tliem after they left my farm ? 

Mr. Hamilton. After vou sell them ( 



INTERSTATE SHIPMENT OF IMMATURE CALVTiS. 71 

Mr. Curtis. He tlicl not buy my 

Mr. Hamilton. Being a dealer, yon can ship yonr calves to your- 
self, where the oriHuary farmer 

Mr. Curtis. He has to ship to some commission man. 

Mr. Hamilton. The commission man does not feed the calf at the 
station before he puts it t)n the train. 

Mr. Curtis. He has only just come off the car; he would not take 
anything. 

Mr. Hamilton. That is what I am getting at. Ho is jint off the 
car. It is suggested here that the law will })ermit the calf to be 28 
hours en route after he leaves your farm. 

Mr. Curtis. Twenty-four, in our State. 

Mr. Hamilton. Twenty-four under your State law, but 2S under 
the Federal law. I believe you agree with the previous ^v^tness that 
it might be from .'! to r> hoio's before the calf was put on the train; 
vou would say that was conservative ? 

Mr. CiTRTis. Tt might be. At the stations where I receive, T do 
not think it would exceed th;it. Tliat dej)ends on tlie location. 

Mr. Hamilton. When he gets to the stock yards at Sixtieth Street, 
tell me what happens. 

Mr. Curtis. They are run under chutes at Sixtieth Street, and 
they are supposed to be immediately unloaded; the yard com])any 
is supposed to immediately unload that stock. 

Mr. Hamilton. Do they? 

Mr. Curtis. They are sup])osed to: and if there is any loss of life, 
and they do not do it, we iiold them right u]) for it 

Mr. Hamilton. In practice, what do they do ordinarily? 

Mr. Curtis. In ])ractic(^ they do that Tlieir men are up all night. 

Mr. Ha.miltox, .Aiter the car lias landed in the yards they are 
liable to lie tiiere two or three hours? 

Mr. Curtis. Xo; not after they are run di>wn the chutes. When 
they come to the chutes the commission men are interested, and 
we demand that they shdl be unloaded immediately, and we insist 
upon that, and they are ready to dw it 

Mr. Hamilton. All right; then what fio you do with tlieni? 

Mr. Curtis. You are talking ])articularly nf calves ( 

Mr. Hamilton. Yes 

Mr. Curtis. Thev are driven up into a l)uiJding, on the second 
floor of a large builtling, untler the supervision of tlie health depart- 
ment of the city, and it lias to be whitewashed and kept absolutely 
clean. If the carload is unloaded, they are driven into a pen, where 
they have plenty of room and a trough of water in front of them. 
If they have been on the road 24 hours, wi> are su])i)osed to have, 
and almost invariably do have, advice of the shipment, and are ])rc- 
pared for them. We ])ut in al)out 100 jiounds of hay and a bushel 
of meal. 

Mr. Hamilton. How many calves would that feed '. 

Mr. Curtis. About 150. They are sui)]K)S(m1 to be all uidoailed; 
they are not always there, because the trains are not always on 
time, but they are supposed to be unloaded, and in oui- ynrd by 4 
o'clock in the morning; they are su])])osed to come in anywhere 
from 6 o'clock at night up until 12. They are not shipped out of 
Albany until dark. That is a very good time at certain seasons of 
the year, and es)>eciidly in times of cxircme hcnf. I prefer to have 



72 INTERSTATE SHIPMENT OF IMMATURE CALVES. 

thoni thai way. Tlicii we ofl'ei' them for sale. They are sokl, and 
run liver the .seak's, and the hutchers truck tlieni into their shuightcr 
houses, and all those houses are fixed for the feedin;,^ and the water- 
ing of those calves. 

Mr. IlANrii-TON. The calf has never taken much, if any nourish- 
ment, except milk, before that time. 

Mr. ('UKTLS. It has, peihaps, taken water througji the summer 
time. They take water fre((uently. They will often do it at 3 
weeks of age. 

Mr. Stkvens. What is the time of transit between Albany and 
your yards ? 

Mr. CuRTi.s. With the express train they will run througli in about 
eight or nine hours. Sonu'tinies quicker tlian that. 

Mr. Stevexs. They run them on fast trains, do theyf' 

Mr. C'l'KTIS. Yes; they run an express the night before every 
market day. and sometimes two, from Albany down on the New 
York Central line. 

STATEMENT OF MR. SAMUEL SAUNDERS, OF JERSEY CITY, N. J. 

Mr. DoREMUS. We will now hear from Mr. Saunders. Please give 
the reporter your name and address. 

Mr. Saunders. Samuel Saunders, Jersey City Stock Yards; in New 
York, 545 West One hundred and eleventh Street. 

Mr. DoREMUS. Whal is your business t 

Mr. Saunders. Live stock commission merchant. 

Mr. DoREMUs. Are you a farmer or dairyman i 

Mr. Saunders. No, sir; I am sorry to say. I am not going into 
the details, as you have already heard about them. There is one fact 
it seems the majority of the gentlemen have overlooked, as to the 
humane ]>ai't of these calves ami the meat not being fit to eat. Every 
calf that is slaughtered in the city of New York is under a very rigid 
Federal inspection. You will find out that the number of carcasses 
condcMuned is less with calves 4 weeks of age than with any other 
animal that we kill. If there should be a calf come in that is in the 
slightest degree defective the butcher refuses to jnirchase them, and 
they have to be sent to the slaughterhouse for slaughter under inspec- 
tion, and they are not allowed to sell those calves. They are put into 
a detention room and locked in there, and if the lock is broken the 
carcass is taken away without any questions being asked. That is 
one of the main things which goes to ])rove that calves are just as fit 
after being on the road 124 hours as cows and steers and lambs. I 
])ersoiudly think they are more fit. 

I am not a farmer, but I have had 30 years' experience, and I have 
statistics which show the receij)ts of the calves at our yards during the 
year 1911, and of sheep and lambs and cattle, and it shows that the 
percentage of tlead calves has been less than that of any other animal. 

Mr. Stevens. Do they stand uj) or lie down ? 

Mr. Saunders. They lie down and stand u]). Another thing that 
has been forgotten to be mentioned. These calves are not shipped as 
heretofore: they are not shipped by carload lots. The owner hnnself 
pays for them, and he is not going to overload this stock. Tliev are 
Comfortable. There is no use in saying you could get in 10 more 
calves. He will say, "I have to j)ay for them and am going to keep 



INTERSTATE SHIPMENT OF IMMATURE CALVES. 73 

the calves more coiiifortaljle." Everything is under rigid e.xarniiia- 
tioii, and the humane society keeps very close watch. 

Mr. Stevens. In ])revious testimony that this conunittee has taken 
it has been charged that cattle were frequently overloaded in cars, and 
that when a steer would lie down frec|uently he could not get up again 
and was tramjiled. What happens in that respect a.s to calves^ 

Mr. Sain'dek.s. That is not allowed any more; the railroad will not 
acce])t them, and it is foolish for the owners to do it. There was a 
time when he had to jiay — a man would say it is .${i5 for a car from 
Chicago to New York, and if I can ])ut in some extra cattle it will be 
a saving of $!'_' or $\r>. To-day ■_'(),()()() pounils is your minimum 
weight. The minute you put more than that in there they weigh it. 
When tills stock reaches Jersey City it is weighed, and you have to 
pay for the weight in the car, and it is no benefit for a man to over- 
load the stock. 

Mr. Stevens. The only benefit is to get your minimum weight? 

Mr. Sai'ndeks. That is all. Our butchers are so scaretl they will 
not ])urchase them. The inspection is very rigid. There is not a 
carcass sold that is not under the F(>deral inspection. If these calves 
would go to pieces after being on the mad 24 hours, there would not 
be one pass. 

Mr. Stevens. That might be all right as far as New York is con- 
cerned, but what about the little towns? 

Mr. Savndehs. They <lo not receive those cahcs in those little 
towns. Bullalo, Pittsburgh, and all the cities are luider the most 
rigid examination, not t)nly by the Government, but by the humane 
society, which has grown to be a great factor. 

Mr. Dokemus. \Vhat about those calves shipped to |irivate Initch- 
ers: you do not have any inspet'tion there? 

Mr. Saunders. Yes, sii\ 

Mr. DoHEMi's. The testimony before this committee in regard to 
the market at Boston is that there is vety little (iovernment inspec- 
tion there. 

Mr. Sai'nders. True, from all reports. If Boston is so lax, if they 
can not attend to their own city, it looks hard that the whole I'nited 
States should suffer on that account. 

Mr. Stevens. Do you not i-ecall that wlien the nu'at-ins])ection 
law was imder discussion, it was charged that the worst ul)u^es were 
in the slaughterhouses around Buffalo ( 

Mr. Sai'nders. What has happened since '. 

Mr. Stevens. Does that not exist as to small >iaugliteili(iuses not 
imder Government inspection ? 

Mr. Saunders. Not in New York and New Jersey. 

Mr. Stevens. Outside '. 

Mr. Saunders. I do nut know an\ thing about these othei' towns. 

Mr. Dore.mus. We have tu deal with all these to\vn>. 

Mr. S.viNDERS. That is true, but it seems to me too bad tliat one 
of the main towns should suffer under these existing ideas of other 
States. In every slaughterhouse to-day in our Slate, in almost any 
place where a cow is kept they have to measure u|) to a standard just 
the same as the tenement houses do. The men are cmnpelled to 
change their overalls twice a day. 

Mr. Saunders. What I want to tell you, gentlemen, our business 
to-dav is under the most I'igid examination, and not onlv in' the Foil- 



74 INTEBSTATE SHIPMENT OF IMMATURE CALVES. 

oral hut bv the State Government also, and it is impossible, I think, 
to sell a food that is not fit to eat in New York or New Jei-sey. 

Mr. Hamilton. I lioUl in my liand the report of the Secretary of 
Agriculture to the chairman of this committee on this bill, and under 
date of January ,3, 1911, he cjuotes Dr. B. P. Wende, inspector in 
cliarge, Buffalo, N. Y., as saying — 

Such animals are nut .yiven any more consideration with respect to feed, water, and 
rest than other animals, and have often been roufined in cars without feed, water, and 
rest from 38 to 4.5 hours w-hen unloaded at these yards. 

Have you anything to say in contradiction of that statement ? 

Mr. Saunders. It could not happen with us. The railroad com- 
panies would be afraid to take a chance. They would not allow them 
to go farther, for one reason, and, for anothci' reason, their own 
resources, because when unloaded they are charged watli the hay and 
feed. 

Mr. Stevens. That !iap])ens uniler the Federal law now. 

Mr. Saunders. I do not see how it could. 

Mr. Stevens. I will show you in just a moment. 

Mr. Saunders. They have been fined, and tiie railroad company 
is liable. 

Mr. Stevens. Let me do a little figuring for you. Under the act 
of Jiuie 29, 1906, known as the 28 liour law, there is this proviso: 
Provided writtcMi request of the owner, etc., the time may be extended 
to 36 hours. Now, you will tidmit that '. 

Mr. S.\UNDERs. Yes, sir; the owner has to sign at his own risk. 

Mr. Stevens. That this time of 36 liours does not include the time 
for loading and unloading^ 

^Ir. Saunders. That is right. 

Mr. Stevens. It may be about how nnich more? 

Mr. Saunders. An hour. 

Mr. Stevens. These gentlemen — Mr. Curtis told us it may be three 
to five hours. 

Mr. Saunders. We arc not referring to tiiat: we ai-e referring to 
this 36 hours. Loading and unloading, one hour. 

Mr. Stevens. The actual time, taking into the car and out that 
ma}- be, but some of these witnesses stated the car migiit Ije on side- 
truck in the process of loading three to five hours. 

Mr. Saunders. Right. These are exceptions, cases of one, two, or 
Miree hours, where calves arc brought in small bunches, but where the 
dealer has 200 to 250 calves they arc driven in in one bunch and 
loaded. We were talking about the way some of the farmers are 
obliged to load their calves. Where S or 10 farmers bring in enough 
of one kind of calves, it is naturally going to take them one to three 
hours, because one farmer may be an hour or two hours late. 

Mr. Stevens. That is what I am trving to get at. In the process 
of loading and mdoading it is ex])rcsslv not included in the 36-hour 
bill; they may be some three to five hours in loading and one hour in 
unloading. That would be allowed under the law. 

^Ir. Saunders. It would be allowed under the Federtil law, but it 
is something that never happens. 

Mr. Hamlin. I think the witness who just jjreceded you, if I 
understootl liim correctly, stated a while ago calves were frequently 
shipjK'd from Buffalo about ilark of the evening. 

ilr. Saunders. Albanv. 



INTERSTATE SHIPMENT OF IMMATURE CALVES. 75 

Mr. Hamlin. Albany; and come in the next afternoon. 

Mr. Saunders. Get in the next morning. 

Mr. Hamlin, t'ome in Albany (luring the afternoon and would bo 
shipped out of there about 6 o'cloek? 

Mr. Saunders. Yes, sir; they do not allow you t<i sliij) them out 
until they are rested or watered. The same way with e,\])ort cattle. 
You are obliged to un'oad them, feetl them, and water them, and let 
them rest six or more hoiu's. 

Mr. Hamlin. That is calves in transit? 

Mr. Saunders. All stock in transit. 

Mr. Hamlin. How about calves that come from several stations, 
being shipped to different people ? 

Mr. Saunders. Twelve to 14 hours it takes them as a rule to 
come here, 18 hours, 20 hours. As Mr. Ciu'tis told you, those that are 
on the cars longer than 24 hours, which is the way it sometimes 
happens, you understand, when they do come in they are prepan-d 
for them, waiting for tliem, know they are coming, and they get tlu^ 
best of attention. 

Mr. Hamilton. I shouhi just likt- to ask you another question. 
1 have here before me the report of the Secretaiy of Agriculture, and I 
will read again from it. He says: 

Dr. .James S. Kelly, inspector in cliarsie. Cleveland. Dhiu. under date of April 4, 
iftll, writes as follows: 

"On yesterday, .\pril 3. there were .several mixed .sliipnients of live stock at the 
(Cleveland Union Stork Yards from points in Michigan. .Xmcpnj; the.se shipments were 
a nnniber of very youni; veal calves. The ( 'leveland rity inspectors tac.sed ont .some 
40 to 50 whicli apparently ransjed in age from 8 to 14 days and which were too young 
for slaughter under the city code. Not being able to slaughter these calves in Cleve- 
land, tliey were Ininched together with others by Bower & Rower, live-stock com- 
missiim men. for sliipm«?nt to .\rmour & Co., Pittsburgh, Pa." 

In this connection it should be stated that the establishment at Pittsburgh tn 
which the calves were .shipped was not under inspection by the Department of 
Agriculture. 

What comments would you desire to make on that condition? 
This is a n-port, now, of a Federal inspector. Do you not think tliat 
discloses a condition wliicli would seem to require some sort of P'ederal 
regulation ? 

Mr. Saunders. It certainly would: yes, sir. 

Mr. H.\milton. You certainly do not approve of tlnit ( 

Mr. S.4UNDERS. .\'o, sir. 

Mr. Hamilton. T am glad of it. 

Mr. S.\i'Ni)EKS. There is not any man in our business advocnfing 
or wanting you to shij) these bob calves. 

Mr. Hamilton. Let me ask you — there ought not to be any antago- 
nism between men in this cmnitry who want to bring tibout some 
remedy for this infernal cruelty that is going on, and you ought to 
help us to bring it about 

Mr. Saunders (interrtipting). We ;ire willing to liel]i you, but whj'- 
should wc^ 

Mr. Hamilton (interposing). Tlien why should you not recognizo 
facts as they exist '. 

Mr. Saunders. Why single me ()ut '. 

Mr. Hamilto.n. Xobody is singling you out. 

Mr. Sai:nders. A great niaiiv jieople will argue with you a calf .3 
weeks old is fit for food. 



76 INTEESTATE SHIPMENT OF IMMATURE CALVES. 

Mr. Hamilton. Tlu'sc were not 3 weeks old. 

Mr. Saunders. Some cJaiin 2 weeks old. ^'ou can ijet a calf 2 
Weeks old heavier than one 3 weeks old. 

Mi-. Hamilton. Are yon prepared to argue that a calf a week old, if 
it should he ship])ed from some point in Michigan to Cleveland, being 
obviously unable to take any nourishment, and should be held in 
Cleveland without any nourishment, and finally shipped down to 
Ai'inour&Co., at Pittsbiu'gh, Pa., and there slaughtered, are you pre- 
pared to say that the flesh of that calf is fit for liuman consumption, 
even if you are unwilling to take into consideration the suil'ering of 
these poor animals, are you willing to say it is ht for human cini- 
sumption '. 

Mr. S.\iNDERs. I am willing to say it is not. 

Mr. Ha.mii-ton. Arc you willing to say it is not cruel ^ You would 
say it was cruel to the calf, would you not '( 

Mr. Sai'Nders. Yes: centainly, to a week-old calf. 

Mr. Hamilton. To a 2-weeks-old calf ^ 

Mr. Sainders. It would be cruel; you know what I mean, it is 
cruel to loiid any (if theses cattle in a car. It is cruel the minute you 
take these cattle away from their homes, for that matter, whether 
they are 2 weeks old, 2 years old, or 4 years old. It is cruel the 
moment you take any of these cattle or sheep and put them in the 
car, and I am not trying to make you peo]jle believe it is not cruel 
to crowd these cattle in the cars; but I do tell you gentlemen the 
im])rovements in this business the last two years have been so great 
that one not in the business would not believe it. 

Mr. IIamii,ton. Apparently in your ]iarticular part of the country 
the millemum has started in the st-.)ck yards, but it has not started 
in Cleveland, Ohio, or some other places. Here is another report. 
Here is another statement from the repoi't of the Secretary of Agri- 
culture. He says: 

Dr. (ieoriie Ditewig, traveliiig inspector for the Inireau, writes from Chicago, 111., 
under date of .July 18, as follows: 

"The number of calves given for city use and Chicago packing is 228.000. The 
number of calves rejected for all causes is 4,117. How many du))lications. if any, this 
total contains can not be shown. Practically this whole number rejected is made up 
of bob calves, or inspections on bob calves. In this particular line the inspection 
has been active and fairly successful: successful, at least, in diverting such animals 
from the official to the local and nonofficial slaughterhouses." 

Now, under the Federal inspection act this iunnl)er of calves is 
perhaps reduced, I mean that the number of bob calves is perhaps 
reduced; but whil(> they reduce the number sent to where they may 
be inspected by Federal inspectors, they are shrewd enough to turn 
them aside to some other destination where they are not subject to 
Federal inspection. Do you not think it is necessary to have some 
law to sto]) that ''. 

Mr. S.A.UNDERS. If I may ask the f|uestit)ii — admitting all you say 
is true 

Mr. Hamilton (interposing). I am reading the report of the Secre- 
tary of Agricultiu'e. 

Mr. Saunders. Well, admit it is true. In what way does it benefit, 
in accordance with the bill that is about to be introduced to cause 
this thing to be stopped? In what way would it benelit it? 

Mr. Cobb. Y'ou mean in what way will the bill stop it ? 



INTERSTATE SHIPMENT OF IMMATURE CALVES. 77 

Mr. Saunders. Yes. Wo wilJ assist yon in o()nvictiii<; ajiyhody 
tliat ships bob calves. W(^ will agree to report to any iiisp(n'tor you 
say, and we are all willing to do it. 

Mr. Hamilton. Yon say, How will it stoj) it ( One way to stoj) it 
woidd be to impose a penalty. 

Mr. Saunders. That penalty is imposed now. 

Mr. Hamilton. For shi])i)ing calves too young under Federal law? 

Mr. Saunders. Yes: calves can not be siii|)])ed undei- 3 weeks of 
age, under the Federal law. 

Mr. BosiiART. That is Federal regulation. 

Mr. HaiMilton. Find tiiat and ])ut it in your remnrks, if it is true; 
but it is not. 

Mr. Saunders. I thiid'C you will find the Federal i'egulati(ni is 
under 3 weeks old. .\.nd the more we argue about these things and 
A'ou write it any better than we have written it by this idea of ship- 
ping 10 jiours on the road, it is going to allow some ])eo]ile to kill 
calves 3 weeks old on the ])lace and sell them there and shi)) tliem 
liere and shi]) them there, and it is going to make yoiu' law a great 
deal worse, and all you have got to do is to ])ick out your few States 
and compel tliem to live up to your law, and it will be all right. It 
seems an awful hardshi]) in Stales like New York and \ew Jersey 
that ther(> is nothing against. People have becui sent to jail for 
sliip|)ing these calves. 

Ml-. Hamilton. More ought to be. 

Mr. Stevens. Before these witnesses leave 1 think it is very 
important we should discuss the f)oint proposed in Mr. Hamilton's 
amendment. The |)resent law contains this provision, section 1; 
"In estimating such time the tim(> consumed in loading and unload- 
ing shall not be considered." In ^!r. Hamilton's proposed amend- 
ment those words are not only eliminated but it is ])rovided th(> time 
for loading and unloading shall l)e a part of the 10 hours that shall 
be provided, and the cars shall be in ti-aiisit. 

Mr. DiuscoLL. That is absolutely impossible. 

Mr. Stevens. 1 want these gentlemen to tell liow that is going to 
work. 

ilr. BoSHART. That is our puri)ose. 

Mr. Hamlin. Is there anything else? 

Mr. Saunders. There is not, and 1 should like to be excused, and 
I thank yon for your courtesy. 

Mr. Hamlin. ^Ir. James Latta has just lianiled me a short state- 
ment that he wishes me to read to the committee and let it go in the 
hciiring. He represents the live stock dealers in Philadeljihia. He 
had to take the train, and if there are no olijections I will read it to you, 
as follows: 

Philadelphi.\, Pa.. April 15. 19K', 
Chairman and Members nf the Committee on Interstate and Foreign Coinineree, Waiih- 
irigton, I). C. 

Gentlemen: We, the luidersigued, representative.', uf tlie Live yt<}ck A.'^sdciatiiui of 
llie City of Philadelphia, wi.-^h to voice our protest against bill (II. R. 172132) regarding 
the shipment of calves. 

We believe this to bo a very drastic measure, and if enacted into a law that it will 
kill the bu.siness of shipping calves from one State to another. 

Our city depends largely upon calves that are imported from other States. It is a 
certainty that SO per cent of the calves consumed in Philadeljihia and its immediate 
tcrriliirv come from other Stales. 



78 INTERSTATE SHIPMENT OF IMMATURE CALVES. 

Tliis bill reads that it would be a misdemeanor for a common carrier to receive a calf 
that is under 6 weeks of age. You, gentlemen can see at once that the agents of the 
common carriers would have no mean? of determining the age of a calf that is offered 
for interstate transportation, consequently they would refuse to receive any calf unless 
it would be almost as large as a full-grown animal, and the shipping of calves would be 
a State business instead of an interstate one, as at present. 

Like other commodities, veal has a large consumption in some States and very email 
iu others; therefore it is very necessary that we have a free interstate movertient of 
calves. 

As stated in the beginning of this letter. 80 per cent of the calves consumed in Phila- 
delphia — and this city is a lai^e calf market — are imjiorted from other States. We cite 
this as one instance alone, and when you gentlemen come to realize how other large 
cities are likewise in the same predicament, we feel you will not be willing to force 
people from nearby States to sell in their own State when they can find a better market 
in another State. 

We venture to say that if this bill becomes'a law that it will curtail the interstate 
shipment of calves to such an extent that veal will becoine a luxury, because, as stated 
in the beginning of this appeal, the State of Pennsylvania does not furnish more than 
20 per cent of the calves that are needed for the wants of oiu' city. You can easily see 
that a law of this kind would be putting the burden upon the consumers in addition to 
depriving the people of other States from getting the benefit of our market. 

The high cost of living is a subject that is occupying the attention of the people of 
this country at the jjresent time, and a bill of this kind, if passed, would greatly tend 
to increase such high cost of living, as it w-ould decrease the importation of calves to 
congested districts, and in consequence the poor would suffer, as veal is a large factor 
in food products. 

For a matter of information, there were 75,000 calves handled at the West Philadel- 
phia stockyards alone during the year 1911, of which 80 per cent were imported. 
Were this importation to have heen restricted. \'ou can imagine what the extra cost 
of veal to the consumer would have been. 

With the rigid inspection that the Government is giving to all stockyards, it appears 
almost useless for a bill of this kind to become enacted, and for this reason. When 
immature calves reach the centers of live-stock markets, the agents of the Govern- 
ment are ready to seize and confi,scate them, consequently we see no reason for a bill 
of this kind, and w-e hope that you gentlemen will consider the interest ol all and not 
TCcommend the passing of same. 
Respectfully, 

Consolidated Dressed Beef Co., P. J. Mayries; Geo. J. Roesch, President 
Roesch Packing Co.; Holmes & Clark; Philadelphia Sheep Co.; I'nion 
Small Stock Co.; J. E. lIen<!rickson & Co.; Ileilbron & Loeb; C. J. 
Rice; Coulbourn & Noble; M. Myers Sons; \. J. Pusey & Sons; F. P. 
Quinn; Philadelphia Abattoir Co.. .las. M. Harlan, Treasurer. 

Mr. Stevens. I wish these gentlemen would jilace in the record, as 
some of them have already indicated, what the law of Geimany is as 
to the age at wliich calves may be slaughtered. 

Mr. BosHART. I understand 10 days; I know it is the old rule of all 
foreign emigrants who come over here, and I remember it as a boy 
down there, that the rule is that a calf is good for footl at 9 days of age. 
I have seen liundreds of them killed by foreigners at that age. It is 
an old adage brought down throughout htmdreds of ceitttu'ies. 

Mr. J. G. Curtis. I know a great many Jews, the greatest veal 
consumeis of any people, and I know n great many wholesale slaugli- 
terer.s who are Jews. 

Mr. Hamilton. If a man likes that kind of veal let him kill it on 
his own farm. 

Mr. Curtis. They tell me they would rather have the flesh fnun a 
wholesome 10-day calf than one 4 to o weeks old. 

Mr. Stevens. That is what I desired to kiuiw, because (ierinan veal 
is excellent. 

Mr. BosiiART. I do not know the age, but I know the age must be 
5 to 6 weeks on those beel calves, high-priced calves. Those calves 
sell for 21 to 22 cetits aliv(>, tiiat means nearlv 50 cents for the dressed 



INTEESTATE SHIPMENT OF IMMATURE CALVES. 79 

carcass, ami when you conic to place that on tlic niai'kct it jiuts it 
beyond any common ])Ooplc to buy. 

Mr. Curtis. We had a few calves on the market here a few years 
ago for a French butcher: they were kept i'ii;ht in small cai;;es with a 
floor of what we call scantling, 2 l)v 4's, to drain olT the floor, which 
keeps them absolutely dry, and fed them three times a day on eggs 
and milk until they were 4 or ."i weeks old. 

STATEMENT OF MR. F. E. McCONNELL, SECRETARY OF THE 
TRI-STATE LIVE STOCK ASSOCIATION. 

Mr. McCoNXELL. We liave an organization <if live-stock ship])ers: 
take the southern half of Michigan, the northern half of Ohio and 
Indiana, we have 171 members and nobody is a member of that 
association except a regular, bona fide shii)])er actually engaged in 
buying and feeding live stock. We cover a teri-itnry about 250 miles 
long l)y about l.'iO miles wide. Not all the shi])]H'rs in that territory 
belong to the association, but a large part of them do. 

Mr. Hamlin. Have you got a trust ( 

Mr. McCoNXELL. We have no trust. We hav ■ a trust in this way, 
though, that two years ago when you had the embargo on our State, 
which was one of the most unjust things ever Mr. Wilson mit out — no 
other portion of the State except a little corner around Detroit was 
affected with the foot-and-mouth disease — I went over to Lansing 
myself with some other members of our association, went liefore our 
State commission ami after awhile did get it removed, but our farmers 
fed out the last bushel of their corn they had to hogs and they sold 
at a very low price because they <'oukl not get to market. This same 
thing is going to happen with this bill, ^^'^lat are you going to do with 
this Stated Take a load out of Charlotte, or even up around Grand 
Rapids, and you can not make the market with your local trains in 
10 hours, can not do it in 12. We take out our local stock train from 
Elkhart; it picks up stock down to Toledo. 

Mr. Hamilton. What time does it leave Elkluirt ^ 

Mr. McCoNNELL. Three-eleven. 

Mr. Hamilton. Then where does it go ^ 

Mr. McCoxxELL. Then it is made into a solid stock train and I'uns 
to Cleveland and from there to Buffalo. Of cours(^ a great deal of 
our stuff sto])s at Cleveland. 

Mr. Hamilton. Buffalo is the ultimate destination '. 

Mr. McCoxxELL. Buffalo is the biggest market. 

Mr. Hamiltox. How long does it take to run from Elkhart to Buf- 
falo •>: 

Mr. McCoNXELL. Well, I h(^y make the run from Toledd, or slioidd 
mak(^ it, so as to get into Buffalo in al)out ;•!() to 32 hours fi-om Elk- 
hart. Of course they fell down several times this winter. 

Mr. Ha.miltox. 'i'hat is a ]iretty long run for a .'!-weeks-old calf, is 
it not '. 

Mr. McCoxNELL. I ship a good many veal calves. We ])ick them 
uj) two or three here and four or five ther(^: th(>v ar(> drawn in all the 
way from 7 to S mil(>s. and they com(> in all times nf the day. from 
8 a. UL to half ])ast 2 in tlie afternoon. 

Mr. Hamilton. What is the average age of those calves? 



80 INTERSTATE SHIPMENT OF IMMATURE CALVES. 

Mr. MrC'oNNELL. Our calves there are usually held about five weeks. 
I personally ami our shi])pers there will not buy anything unless it 
is first-class veal: in i'act, not one veal out of lil'ty I shij) l)ut sells at 
the top of the market. Most of the farmers in llilldale market and 
through there jirefer to make a calf ])rime before they let it go, and 
that takes four or five weeks; they do not like to hold them over five 
weeks; but they hold them from four to five weeks and make the calf 
weight 150 to 180 pounds in that time, where the_y have grade 
mothers; that is home weight; a Jersey cow will not do it. 

Mr. Hamilton. Then if this bill prescribed that calves should not 
be shi]i])ed under 4 weeks old, it would conform to your views, 
woukl it not ? 

Mr. McCoNXELL. It would; yes, sir. 

Mr. Hamilton. What would you say about five weeks? 

Mr. McConnell. It would not be so much of a hartlshij) with us, 
although here is a question to decide. Gentlemen, I confess I think a 
calf 3 to 3^ weeks old, 3 weeks old more particularly, could be dis- 
tinguished quite readily: after they got up much beyond 3 weeks I 
think it would be haril for anybocty to tefl their age uj) to a certain 
))oint. 

Mr. Hamilton. Abt)ut the distance that calves can' be transported 
without f(>ed — that is a difiu ult question. 

Mr. McCoNNEi.L. I ship to Toledo and Cleveland, I slii]> to Bulfalo, 
and I even shij) to Jersey City. I had three car shipments in there 
this last week; in fact, I came down here from there. Yeal calves 
will ship just as mucli with me to ship them to Toledo as (hey do to 
Buffalo, usually about (i to 7 pounds a licad if I <()mc through to 
Jersey City. 

Mr. Hamilton. They ^^tarve down to about that in that lime? 

Mr. McConnell. They will shriid<; fi-om home weights al)out 6 or 7 
and sometimes as high as S ])ounds. 

Mr. Ha.milton. .Vnd that is jiounds of milk or something in them 
when they started >: 

Mr. McConnell. Yes. Now, you were sjieaking this morning 
about paiJing them. Our farmers do not pail them; we let them run 
right with the cow, not have the cow with them all the while, but 
they do their own milking. Those calves usually start away in the 
morning up to 9 o'clock, and they are full of milk: anil, of course, 
when we weigh them uj> we weigh a great deal of that milk. That 
milk is ])retty nearly eliminated by the time they get to market. We 
always deck our calves; never shi]) full decks of calves: ship 3 to 20 
or 30 in a car with hogs or sheep — that is, build a partition, and the 
calves are ])Ut in one part of the car. We almost always throw in a 
little clover hay. Our calves will average nearer 5 weeks than any- 
thing else, and they will eat quite a lot of that hay, if you give them 
good clover hay. 1 do not know what they always do in Buffalo, but 
I know if I go there they turn the bunch of calves into the feed yard; 
they always do so, and they go u|) to the water trough and water and 
eat (juite a little of that coarse hay. 

Mr. Hamilton. I am glad to know the shipjx'rs from Michigan are 
not shinping calves a we(dv or 12 weeks old. 

Mr. McConnell. That statement there in Cleveland — I do not 
know whether I got the right idea of that, but I know something 
about tiiat shipment, because I had two cars. There was a wreck 



INTERSTATE SHIPMENT (IK IMMATURE CALVES. 81 

between Toledo and Cleveland and 1 had to throw the stufl' into 
Cleveland to comply with the Federal law, and I had two cars thrown 
in that 3d day of April. 

1 do not l)eheve there wei'e any Miehif^an calves -n that train, 
because onr shijipers alonic tliat line are members of tiie live-stock 
association and do not buy that kind of calves, and if that was the 
case how could Bower & Bower get cojitrol of them and ship them to 
Pittsburgh: because in that case liiey would have to go to BulTalo. 
Bower A; iiower have no right to {hem in any <'ase. 

Mr. Hamilton. What hnigth of time do you think calves should 
be kept on the road ^ 

Air. ^IcCo.vxELL. I do not think it hurts a calf a bit to be on (he 
road .''.6 hours. It is no worse to take that calf and ])ut him on the 
road for 'M) hours than to take thes(> lambs out of tli:se States and 
take them from their mothers ami shi|) them; no worse than to go 
into Montana and take those littli' lambs three months old and run 
them ai'ound over .lim Hill's road, where there is not a watering 
station until you get to St. Paul; it takes about three of four days 
to make the run. It is done evei'v year; lots (^f it; 1 ha\-e don(^ it 
myself. 

Mr. Hamlin. Do you not think that- was cruel ^ 

Mr. McCoNNELL. It was cruel. 

Mr. 'Hamlin. Well, then, simply because that is done and is cruel 
we ought not to treat the calves badly. 

Mr. McCoNNELL. If those lambs had been properly watered they 
would have come through in great shape, but it is rough to take a 
lamb and kee]) it without water foi- three or four days. I will take 
Mr. Hamilton u]i in our country and show him a loatl of steers, 
reasonably fat ; I will ])ut them on the cars and ship down to Butl'alo 
and take him on a passenger train and show them to him there and 
he will swear he never saw steers so poor in his life. 

Mr. Hamii/1'o\. Then think of the wear and tear on the poor little 
calves. 

^Ir. MrCoxNELL. 1 think a calf will stand it better. I have not 
lost one-half of 1 per cent of my calves in 10 years, and I make shij>- 
ments of sheep (piite often, and I lose one or two to the car, also hogs, 
and you (piite often find a larger animal down and bruised in the car. 

Mr. CuRTLs. We are all with you. Let them take care of their own 
ctmditions. 

Mr. Cobb. Read what the railroads say about it. They say they 
have discontinued it. 

Mr. McCoNNELL. It has been ))retty well thrashed over. 

Mr. Hamli.n. Yes; I think so. Does anyone wish to ask this wit- 
ness any cpiestions ^ If not, we ar(> very nuich obliged to you. 

Mr. JlAMy/roN. Mr. Butler, of Detroit, would like to address the 
committee for a moment. 

Mr. Hamlin. Give the stenogra|)her your name, please. 

STATEMENT OF MR. JEFFERSON BUTLER, PRESIDENT- OF THE 
MICHIGAN HUMANE ASSOCIATION, OF DETROIT, MICH. 

Mr. Butler. I was asked at one time to go down to the stock yards 
at Detroit and examine into the condition of tlH> calves, and there was 
a movement starte<l, and I can tell you now you are going to llnd it a 

41920—12 6 



82 INTEESTATE SHIPMENT OF IMMATUBE CALVES. 

serious one, if you are going to oppose this legislation, that is to 
endeavor to get the American people to refuse to buy any veal. Now, 
as to what age that- limit will be made will be a question that will be 
taken up by the humane societies all over the country. At the time 
I visited the stock yards at Detroit I found calves that had blatted 
themselves to death, four of them. 

I found a newspaper man who gave me some statements and he 
had statistics in regard to the shipping of these young calves, and 
their age he gave up to 6 and 7 weeks — that is, liis generalstatement^ 
and that he never saw any of them eat anything at any time, and he 
had been reporter for the Free Press for 28 years. Now, this last 
winter some organization that was perfected there took up the ques- 
tion and went down and they found two carloads of young calves 
frozen to death on the Pere Marquette Railroad — the cows got 
through all right — and they asked the reason from experts, and they 
said it was simply because they were not in a fit condition. They 
were not old enough to stand that severe weather. I saw a shipment 
of young calves billed from Kalamazoo to East Bulfalo. They were 
put in one end of a car, aufl they were not able to lie down; there was 
simply room to stand up, and when I was there it was 9 degrees above 
zero. We followed that shipment, as best we could, and they were 
over three days gettingfrom Kalamazoo to East Buffalo. AVe followed 
another shipment, and they were six days in that kind of weather, 
going through in these slat cars where it was only about 12 or 13 
above zero. 

Now, you can not expect the American people to stand that sort of 
thing, mien they wake up to it it simply means it is going to be 
taken up in more serious form. So many of the shippers say we are 
willing to help out in this, and when one of the newspapers, the Free 
Press in Detroit, wrote up the subject, and the man simied the state- 
ment, they said the statements were untrue, yet we have had men 
come here and say in regard to hogs and some other animals that they 
suffered through the shipment so that they were not fit to eat. It 
simply means, as I say, the newspapers will take up this question; 
that unless there is some reasonable regulation here you will find iti 
a much more serious question. Now, these men denied everything 
and said I was dreaming, l)ut admitted it was true in regard to young 
calves, in a roundabout way, that it was not a right condition, but 
they said the American people demand it, and we do not want it. 

Wo have taken it up with the railroad companies and the railroad 
companies say they do not want to sliip the calves under any con- 
sideration. So far as they are concerned they say they would prefer 
they be slaughtered before slujjment, and we say, well, will you agree 
to that ? Well, no; they do not want to get in any row with the ship- 
pers, but that is the general statement, as nearly as we cay learn from 
the radroad people; they do not want to take the calves under any 
condition. So the humane societies are organizing, and I think they 
wlU have the railroads with them when it comes to a question of a 
fight, if they do come to a fight on this subject, and the only way I can 
see to keep the dollar brand oft' our American civilization and stop this 
kind of barbarity is to have some reasonable regulation thi-ough the 
Government, and of course the only way we can get it is through the 
National Government; we can not hope for anything through the 
States. 

Mr. Hamlin. Wliat do you think about the 4 or 6 weeks limitation i 



TXTERSTATE SITTPMEXT OF IM^MATt'RK CALVES. 83 

Mv. Butler. Of course I would say thai (he G weeks liuiitation 
would be reasonahle. I am not an expert. 

Mr. Driscoll. What do you say al)out the (|uestion as to wliether 
or not a calf, if well nourished up to 4 weeks, if he is not "jood, whole- 
some food ^ 

Mr. Bi'TLER. Of course, we have a mass ui testimony from ex])erts 
who claim that these calves, if they s])end more than 12 hours in 
slii])ment, that they deteriorate in condition and value: that they 
are not wholesome. Of course, they disaiji'ee on that somewhat, 
hut that is the general statement. 

Mr. DRLSt'OLL. That would he (rue of a calf (i weeks of age too, 
Would it not ( 

Mr. Butler. Well, they say they are liguringli]i to (i oi- 7 weeks. 

Mr. Drlsc'oll. It would he true of a (i-weeks-old calf, would it not, 
it would shrink some 'i 

Mr. Butler. I suj)pose there would he some shrinkage. 

Mr. CuRTLS. There is some on a 4-year-(ild steer. 

^Ir. Butler. The humane society ])ut it two months. 

Mr. Drlscoll. 1 sujjjjose if the humane society had their way 
they would have them all slaughtered iirst and shipped in the meat i 

Mr. BiTTLER. '^'es; that would he it. 

Mr. Driscoll. Of coiuse, that would avoid sulferiug. 

Mr. Butler. But if they can have any rc;isomd)le agreement, 
without interfering with the husiiu^ss, they are willing to do it, hut 
I thirds; they ai-e not going to let the dollar stand in th(> way. if it is 
nothing else, you know it is su.'''ering to human heings to se(> this 
conditioiL 

Mr. DRLsct)LL. Do you not think these men who come from the 
North, most of them, do you not think they are very reasonahle in 
their suggestions here i 

Mr. Butler. It is ajjpaicnt to me they have very rigorous laws there 
and they are enforced. 

Mr. Drlscoll. Are not those men jcprescnling very I'easonable 
views as to their legislation '( 

Mr. Hamilton. Supjiose yt)u specify what the views are. 

]\Ir. Driscoll. lie has been here, lias he not? You have heard 
what they said, have 3'ou not ^ 

Mr. Butler. Yes; I have heard what they said. But I tiunk it 
may be in Xew York whei-e they have Federal 

Mr. Drlscoll (inter|)osing). I want to ask you right here if in your 
judgment these men from Xew 'I'ork, who have testilied what they 
tluuk ought to be embodied in this bill, are not reasonable in their 
suggestions and views '. 

Mr. BuTi^ER. Well, I wiiuld say that while they have talked reason- 
able enough, that the (juestion of the linnt of time shipruent is not 
reasomd)le. 

Mr. DiuscoLL. Twenty-four hours i' 

ilr. Butler. From what they have to say. 

Mr. Driscoll. Aside from that you think theii- statements are rea- 
sonable, do you not '. 

Mr. Butler. Well, it may be for short shipments, .•ind of course 
this bill covers that tiuestion. There is nothing in this bill ])roviding 
for feeding at all during shipment. If there was — if there was some 
])rovision there providing these <'alyes should be fed and watered — 
then the objection might not stand. 



84 INTERSTATE SHIPMENT OF IMMATURE CALVES. 

Mr. Driscoll. In view of the Federal law now for other cattle, in 
L'S liours and 5 hoiir.s re.st and feed, Is not 24 hours a reasonable pi'o- 
vision for these calves in transit '? 

Mr. Butler. I should say not. 

Mr. IIa.milton. You ou,<j^iit to lake into consideration the inahilitv 
of a calf to take nourishment. 

Mr. Cobb. What would be your limit ': 

Mr. Butler. Well, from the expert testimony we can jjet on it. 
we would say a 12-hour limit. 

Mr. Drlscoll. Calves nev(>r <;et fed over 12 hours apart at home. 

Mr. Butler. Probably then what they are goine: <>n is only from 
one feeding to the other. 

Mr. Cobb. Did you ever run over your meals when you were 
traveling on a sleeper >. 

Mr. Curtis. To what society do you say you belong? 

Mr Butler State humane association, also Detroit llum.-uie 
Society 

}.Ir. Cobb Are you attorney for the association^ 

I\lr. Butlei: Xo, T am secretary, just ha])i)en to be an attorney. 

Mr. Cobb. You are not attorney for the association? 

Mr. Butler Wiiy yes, I look after their business. 

Mr. Curtis Have you not a State law there? 

Mr. Butler Yes 

Mr. Curtis What is tlie State law there ^ 

ilr. Butler A 2,S-liour law 

Mr. Curtis But the age limit ? 

Mr. Butler There is no age limit. 

Mr. Driscoll Can not Michigan get \\\t a State law? 

Mr Butler No, we can not 

Mr MANfiLTON. That is the veiy dilHculty and yon all know it; it 
is the same way with cor])oi'ations; wt' had to ])ass a Fedei'al law. 

Mr Butler. We hnd it veiy unfortunate We lia\(> to come to 
Washington for a good many things We have, for instance, on the 
bird (piestion; we l)a\-e every State along the Canadian border j)ro- 
hibiting s])ring shooting and eveiy Canadian Province, l.>iit Michigan 
has spring shooting, consef|uently they are coming here to Washing- 
ton asking for a national law 

Mr Driscoll New York does not a cry often a])]>ly tn the Fed- 
eral (lovernment for things the State ought to do for itself 

Mr. Butler I think that is so 

Mr. Hamlix Tf there is nothing further 1 will declare th.e com- 
mittee adjourned until 10 'M) tomorrow morning 



Interstate ("oMMEniE Commissio.n, 

]yasliiiigtoii. January l.J, 191-'. 

Hon. W. (". .\I1AM.S(1N. 

Chairman Cninmittrr on Inlrrslalc and F(nii(in < 'oinmrrrc, 

Ihiisc of Rcprescnlutires. 
.Mv I)e.\r Sir: I Vies tn ai kiinwledge receipt nf your favor of the lOtli iii.'-taiil. traiis- 
niittin.i^ cojiy of }I(ni_tie resolution 17222, "To regulate the inter.state transportation 
of immature calve.-'," now ]ien<lin.t; before your committee. 

In res])on>e to your reque.~t for an expression of the commission's views in regard to 
this bill it a])])ears to us that as tlie subject matter thereof is more or less in line with 
the .so-called "'meat inspection act." of in06, you might prefer to have the views of 
the Department of Agriculture with respect thereto. 

Yours, very truly. C. A. 1'hocty. 

' 'hairman. 



INTERSTATE SHIPMENT OF IMMATURE CALVES. 85 

DeI'ARTMEXT of AGRICULTUrtE. 

Ol'FTCE OF THE SecKETARV, 

Wiishhiriton. .Iiiiiiiinii 111. 191 ■. 
Hon, W. C. A DAMSON, 

Chairman Commiltir on Iiilcrstah aw/ Fffrlifn f 'nunnt iri . 

Kmtm'dj I\t' in't'scnlatin s. 

My Dear Sir: liy ymir relrrenc-p 1 niii in i'ecei]il of bill iH. 1!. \l'-l\l\ !■■ ii'ijuUilc 
the intei'sUite shipment of immature calves. The ])ractice of shii)pin;i such calves 
has become so general in certain northern Stales that the areatest cruelty imairiualjle 
results therefrom. 

The shipment for slaughter of very young calves in interstate commcnc has gmun 
into a practice. The re]iorts of di-partmcnl agents and of othcials of State .sanitary 
livo-stiick lioards and of the State and national live-slock humane associations show 
that .ship]iers of livestock take young <-ahes not yet weaned, and therefore incapable 
of taking any other kind of nourishment than milk, separate Iheni from their mothers, 
and ship them to distant i)oints in inlerslate commerce. .Vt the time of slau'jliter 
these young animals have often been .seiiaratod from their mothers for three or four 
day.s or more, in .some cases calves are permitted to run with Iheir mothers until 
the time of shi|)ment, and in these instances the cruelty of .shipping iheni for long 
distances is extreme and results in a ]K'ri(]d of al),solule starvation. The deiiartment 
is not ])re|)ared to .say that the He.sh of calves de|)ri\ed of sustenance for three or four 
days Would be unfit for human food, siru'e the animals would necessarih' ])erhaiis lie 
sustained by the fats that are already in the body. It would seem, liowever, that 
action by Congress in the matter would be fully justified on the .score of humanity. 

The president of the Massachusetts Humane Society stales that the majority of 
young calves .shijijietl to the stockyards of that State are fatigued and more or less 
exhausted, many dying on the way. The opinion of Mr. Frank Burke, of Xiles, 
Mich., a well-inf(irmed stockman, who exiire.sses the hope that something will be 
done to ])Ut a sto)> to the cruelty ])ractii-ed in the shipment of young calves in inter- 
state commerce, is typical of the position of a great many other shipjiers. Another 
well-informed .shi]iper cites a not uncommon ca.se in referring to a .shi|)menl of calves 
3 weeks old from southwestern Michigan to Buffalo. These calves could take no 
food except from their mothers and were sejiarated from the cov\s and sent on the 
journey, which took 4S hours or longer. They reached their destination nearlv dead. 
The following quotation from a letter from Dr. P'rancis U. Rowley, jiresident ni' ihc 
American Humane Education Society, to the A.ssistant Secretary of Agriculture, 
describes the cruelties incident to the shil)mcnt of very young calves' 

"The dilHcidty is that these many thousands of young calves wliicli have been shi])- 
ped into Ma.ssachusetls in crates from New York State, wheie the\- can only be shipped 
to be used f,)r dairy purposes, are shipped here t;) .some of our most di.srepulalile 1,'Utchers 
and ccmsigiied to them as dairy conqianies. It seems to me that this shi|jping of them 
under false pretenses must be a flagrant violation of interstate regulations at least. They 
are brought from New York State into Massachu.setts under an absolutely false pre- 
tense, shi|)ped, for examjilc, to the Tom Keenan Dairy Co,, when Tom Keeiian is as 
innocent of any ]unpose connected with Ihem. e.\cept to slaughter them, as |)o.ssible,"' 

The following (piotalion from reports of inspectors of the deparlmcnl legarding (he 
shipment of veiy young calves are also jiertinent in this coiiiu'ctioii 

Under date of .huiuaiy M, Mill. Dr, I!, I', Wende, inspector in charg<', Hutialo, .\ "l',. 
says: 

"Such animals are not given any more consideration with respei i io feed, waler, and 
rest than other animals, and have often been confined in cars withoni feed, water, and 
rest from 3.S to 4o hours when unloaded at these yards," 

Di fairness it should be ,said in Ihis connection that il i- claimed ihi' cahcs in lliese 
cases n ere fed , 

Dr, James S, Kelly, inspeiior in charge, Clc\claiid, <>hio. uihIit dale of .\p:il t, 
iril I, wriles as follow- 

"On yesterday, Ajiril .'i, there were .several mixed shipments if live slock at the 
Cleveland Ui'iiii Stockyards from [joints in Michigan. Among lhe.se shipmeiils were 
a number of very young veal calves. The Cleveland city inspectors lagged oul some 
40 or 5(1 which ajiparently ranged in age from 8 Io 14 days, and which were too 
young for slaughter under the city code. Not being able Io slaughler these calves in 
ClevelaiKl they w<'rc bun(died, loL'ethcr with others, by B iwer A Bower. li\-e slock 
commissi m men, for shipment Io .\rmour & Co.. Piltsburgh. Pa." 

In this cidineclion il .should be slated that the establishment al I'itlslough, to x\ hich 
the calves were ship|)ed, was not under inspection by the Department of .Vgriciillure. 

Dr. George Ditewig, traveling inspector for the bureau, wrili's from Chicago, 111., 
under dale .if , Inly 18, 11)08, as follows: 

"The number of calves given for city use and Chicago packing is I'l'S.OIlO. Tlu' 
number of ca|\-es reject im1 for all causes i-^ I.I 17 1 low rnanx duplicat iou-. if any, I his 



86 INTEKSTATE SHIPMENT OF IMMATUKE CALVES. 

total contain? can not he slKJwn. Practically this whole number rejecterl is made up 
■if boh calves, or inspections on bob calves. In this particular line the insjiection has 
liceti active and fairly successfid; successful, at least, in diverting such ajiimals from 
the official to the local and nonofficial slaughterhouses." 

That large dealers in live stock are in favor of some restriction on interstate commerce 
in the young calves is clear from a statement made to the department in a letter from 
Armour i Co. under date of April 13, 1911, in which the statement is made "there is 
really nothing in the live-.stock business to-day that is so bad for the cotmtry as to see 
immature calves going to slaughter." As showing that all transportation companies 
are not in sympathy with the ])ractice of shipping immature calves in interstate com- 
merce the following from a report made l)y a dejiartment agent is quoted: 

■'Having been advised by the B. & A. agent at Brighton, Mass., that Mr. H. M. 
Briscoe, a!3sistant general traffic manager of the B. & A., wanted an interview with me, 
1 called at his office and we talked over the matter of the shipments into Massachusetts 
of li\e calves from points in New York State. He advised me that the railroad did not 
like that kind of traffic, as it was not very remunerative, and in view of the .severe 
criticism by the (iress they had made an effort to stop it, but were compelled to accept 
these calves un<ler the interstate-commerce act. I ad\'ised him that considering the 
conditions under which the calves were shipped I thought the shipments might be 
refused. I stated my reasons for ,so thinking. He rejilied that the information was 
new to him, and that he would consult with the law department. In a few days after 
this interview I was advised that the New York Central & Hudson River Railroad Co. 
had sent to its agents at points in New York State telegrajihic instructions to receive 
no more calves in crates or under 4 weeks of age for shipment east of Springfield, Mass., 
on the B. & A., or for Boston, ^h^ss., and vicinity. They are now unable to get any- 
thing into Boston. Mass., in crates, and if they ship them loose in cars, under 4 weeks 
of age. they will be condemned by inspectors of the New York State department of 
agriculture. The reason for shipping in crates was to escai)e this condemnation." 

Here it should lie said that the carriers in question, the department is informed, 
have been again transporting young calves in the manner to which exception was 
taken. 

The department is also in receipt of letter from the operating dejiartment of the New 
"^'ork Central lines giving assurances of the road's desire to cooperate with the depart- 
liient in respect to preventing cruelty to calves in interstate commerce. The State 
live-.stock sanitary officials are also active in their endeavor to prevent cruelty in this 
iimnection, as shown by the following quotation from a letter of the commissioner of 
New York State: 

"We have from time to time reported the shipment of immature calves into Penn- 
sylvania and your inspector in charge at Ilallstead. Dr. S. M. Pa.ge. has evidently 
condemned some of the shipments so made. 

•'Under date of April 15. Dr. Houck. inspector in charge at New York, advised us 
as follows: 

•"Our inspector at Hallstead, Pa., advises us that there were 33 head in the ship- 
ment, and out of this number he passed 24 for food and condemned !l for immaturity." 

'•\Ve also have a letter from Dr. Page under the date of .\pril 17, referring to ship- 
ment of 42 calves from (leorge B. May, of New Berlin. N. Y.. which was reported to 
your inspector by this office. This letter states that of the 42 calves. 1 was dead in 
car. 19 passed for food, and 22 were condemned for immaturity. Under these cir- 
cumstances I am wondering if any further action will be brought l>y your bureau 
against these shippers who were apparently xdolating interstate laws by trafficking in 
inunature calves. From the information that we have had it would appear that these 
sliippers will continue to forward these young animals to points outside this State 
unless prosecution is be.gun against Ihem. The simple confiscation of the shipment 
or a portion of it does not seem to liave any effect in sto])ping the busine.ss. 

'•I wish you would advise if your Imreau contemplates liringing action, and any 
assistance that this department can furnish you will lie cheerfully given." 

The State of New York has enacted a statute prohiliiting the shipment of calves 
under four weeks old unless accompanied Ijy their mothers, or unless shipped in 
crates, and then onlv when the calves are intended to be raised and not slaughtered. 

(Chap. 372. p. 933. Laws of New York. 129th session. May 10, 1906.) On May 26. 
1911. the State Legislature of Connecticut also passed a law on the same subject. The 
Slate of Massachusetts prohiliits the sale for food of the carcass of any calf under 4 
wiH'ks old . 

Krom consideration of the whole subject it is apjiarent that the enactmeni of a 
statute prohiliiting the shipment of immature calves in interstate commerce is needed 
in order to prevent the excessive cruelly which is now being practised. The depart- 
ment is unalile to recommend ])rosecution unless the stock are confined in transit 



INTERSTATE SHIPMENT OF IMMATURE CALVES. 87 

beyond 28 hours without water, feed, or rest, or unless an attempt is made to slaughter 
immature calves at any packing establishment where Federal inspection is main- 
tained. While both these statutes in respect to immature calves are being enlorce<l 
rigidly by the department, it is clear that additional legislation is needed in order to 
prevent the cruelty which is still being practised. 

Aa stated, much has lieen and is being done l>y the State live-stock sanitary boards, 
and by the State and national humane associations. If such a statute were passed by 
the Federal Government, t'ongress would not be very far in advance of the State 
legislatures, as shown by the action of Massachusetts. Connecticut, and New York. 
Furthermore, as it is apparent from correspondence in possession of the department, 
large slaughterers of the country, better informed shippers, and some of the trans- 
portation companies will be in favor of a measure of this character. 
Very respectfully. 

.Iame.s Wil.son-, Si-rrefani. 



Mas.sachusetts Society for Prevention 

OF Cruelty to Animals, 
American Humane Education Society, 

Bosloti. April 1.',. I'm. 
Mr. Willis J. Davis, 

Clerh Committee on Iiilrr.stalc n/i<l Foreign Commerec, 

W'dsliinyloii, D. (J. 
My Dear Mr. Davis: Mr. Hamilton has suggested that I embody in my remarks 
before the Interstate and Foreign ( 'oinmerce Committee an instance to which I merely 
referred showing that New York State by no means was able to enforce its law on all 
occasions, and that many of these immature calves were often boned out and the flesh 
sent to market. 

The following are two instances whicli 1 quote from a report given me by the New 
Y'ork State Department of Agriculture: On .March I'O, 1911, 90 carcasses of calves and 
5 barrels of parts of calves, head, liver, etc., were seized. This consignment was made 
by one Cieorge May. Also, April S, 1911, the dejiartment seized 15 boxes and 4 barrels 
containing boned-out meat of immature calves. These boxes weighed 50 pounds 
apiece. The consignment was made by T. Morey, Middleville, N. Y. 

The absolute truthfulness of the following I can not vouch for, but a friend of mine 
asked a large dairy man how he got rid of his newborn calves. The answer was, "Why, 
there is a chicken-canning factory not far from my farm." I can vouch for the state- 
ment that many small boxes have been seen by nur agents carried away from plaies 
where it has been known these little calves were slaughtered. While we had no right 
toopenthe boxes, we were morally certain Ihey contained the carcasses of ihese little 
calves boned out. 

If you can insert this somewhere along about the place where Mr. Dri.scoll was 
a.sking me as to why New York State law was so much better enforced than Mas.-<a- 
chusetts, I shall be very much obliged. 

Cordially, yours. Francis U. Rowley, 

Preside)! t. 



The American Humane Associatio.n, 

Albany, N. Y., April 24, 191-'. 
Hon. Edward L. Hamilton, 

Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce, 

House of RepreseJitatit'cs. 

Dear Mr. Hamilton: I understand that a hearing was given before the House 
Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce on April 16, 1912, in regard to the 
"bob-veal" bill, H. R. 17222. I am also informed that representatives of dairy 
farmers from New York, Indiana, and Michigan appeared against the bill. 

The contentions of those appearing against the bill, it is said, were — 

First. That a 6 weeks' age limit woufd be unreasonable and that 4 weeks would be 
sufficient. 

Second. That the practice of shipping immature calves is a local matter and con- 
fined largely to New York State and Massachusetts, and that the conditions com- 
]ilained of should be cared for in each State and regulated only by local laws. 

Third. That immature calves do not suffer greatly in being shipped to market and 
that there is a very small loss fi'om either injury or death. 

In reply to these claims, this association respectfully snbmil.s — 

First. That where the 4 weeks' age limit holds large numbers of calves are ship] led 
much under that age and anywhere from 1 to 2 weeks' old, or even younger. The 



88 INTERSTATE SHIPMENT OF IMMATURE CALVES. 

constant ten<U>ncy seems to be, according to the experience of our anticriielty soci- 
eties, to evade the 4 weeks' limit, and semi the calves to market as soon as possible, 
for obvious reasons 

From onr experience with the 4 weeks' limit, we are convinced that a 6 weeks' 
limit is positi\ely required, and would practically result in large numbers of calves 
being shipped at considerably under the 6 weeks' limit, making the age in actual 
practice much nearer 4 weeks than (i. In other words, it is desirable to have the limit 
at least 6 wef'ks in order to prevent the shipment of calves much under 4 weeks of age. 

We claim that a B weeks' limit is not unreasonable, as the shipment of younger 
calves is much more likely to be injurious for human consumption, and, furthermore, 
that it is constantly found in practice that it is the younger calves which are apt to 
die during transit from starvation and weakness. We submit that this is (jidy reason- 
able and self-evident. 

Second. In regard to the .second point, we submit that the shijjment of immature 
calves is not a local matter, conhned to any one sectiim, but that it is an abuse which 
exists everywhere that dairy farming is practiced, as a natural result of the desire to 
sell the cows' milk as promptly as possible for the increased ].irolit which accrues. 
Many States have failed to pass laws .satisfactorily regulating the shipment and sale 
of bob veal, and if they did have such laws, they would not reach the interstate-ship- 
ment abuses. The contention that such cruelty .should be controlled under State 
laws does not work out satisfactorily, even where the State laws are considered efficient. 

For instaiiie, under the New York agricultural law, chapter 1, section 10(i, entitled 
"Shipping, slaughtering, and .selling veal for food," calves under the age of 4 weeks 
"can not be shipped or killed for food even when they are accompanied l)y their dams 
to The point of destination.'' There is, therefore, an absolute prohibition to the sale 
of l)ob veal. .\n energetic attempt having been made to invoke this law to prevent 
an interstate shi))ment of bob veal, the case was submitted to the attorney general of 
New York, whose opinion was, in i)art, as follows: "1 find no authority in this provi- 
sion of the law or elsewhere that would justify the commissioner of agriculture seizing 
shipments of calves destined to a point outside the State. * * * The shipment 
there referred to must be construed as meaning shii)ping for the ])urpose of killing 
within the Stale and can not refer to the shipping of calves without the State, as the 
legislature has no authority to prohibit such shi])menls." 

If the allegation is true that this is only a local abuse, peculiar to New York and 
Massachii.setts, why should farmers be present from Indiana and Michigan in opposi- 
tion to this bill, and why should the American Humane Association receive com- 
plaints from many remote sections of the United States concerning su<'h al)uses'? 

Third. In regard to the allegation that the shipment of immature calves to market 
is not assficiateil with any great suffering on their part, I must say that an experience 
of nearly 'M years in enforcing anticruelty laws, of which about 7 have been connected 
with the American Humane Association, goes t<ishow that such shiiunentsare attended 
with frightfid cruelty. I note that the evidence brought out during the farmers' 
hearing in opposition to the bill showed that calves, in interstate shijiments, some- 
times went as long as 40 hours without food or water. Is this not sufficient evidence 
that young and unweaned calves .should be absolutely excluded from interstate ship- 
ment for market and that the calves shcmld he allowed to reach an age when they are 
stronger and have more resisting power'? The conslant tendency has seemed to be, 
(m the part of shippers of veal, to try to crowd under the age limit just as far as possible 
without deteiiii.n and puni.^hment, although in some instances, particularly in the 
West, muih okler calves are frequently shipped. 

In conclusion, the American Humane Association would re.spectfiilly urge that 
the shipment of unweaned calves and those under (i weeks of age mu.st necessarily be 
fraught with great cruelty and suffering: that the u.«e of the flesh of .such calves for 
human consumi)tion carries with it .serious danger; that this abuse is found in every 
State «here extensive dairy farming is carried on, and that it will .spread with the 
development of the country: that in order to su|)]ily the enormous amount of veal 
consumed in large cities, ain<iunting, it is claimed, to ^lo.tXlO calves jier year in New 
York t.'ity alone, that such calves must necessarily come from long di-stances, and 
therefore be subject to inter.state traffic regulation, if regulated at all; that there are no 
Federal laws at i)resent which may be invoked to jirevent this cruel and dangerous 
traffic; and that with Congress lies the power and the responsibility to relieve the 
condition which has become at once dangerous and intolerable. 

Earnestly .soliciting your .support of this bill, I am, 

Verv truly, yours, W. U. Stii^lman, 

President. 



X 

.B '12 



